Farm pregnancy 'cuts asthma risk' :

Living on a farm during pregnancy may help reduce the chance of the child developing asthma, eczema and even hayfever, say scientists.
The New Zealand researchers suggest that exposure to animals and the bacteria they carry may affect the foetus's immune system.
Writing in the European Respiratory Journal, they said exposure before and after birth halved the risk.
But experts warn some animals carry infections which may harm the baby.
The research, carried out at Massey University, adds to other studies which have suggested that living on a farm, with regular contact with animals, during the early years of life, could cut the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases.