A study using data from the INMA Project (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) in Spain has raised a surprising question about the relationship between childhood pets and children’s mental health. Researchers analysed information from around 1,900 households across Asturias, Gipuzkoa, Sabadell and Valencia, following children from pregnancy through the ages of 6 and 7. More than half of the households – 52.3 per cent – had or had previously had at least one pet.
