Definition: In this task, you are given a text of many news articles seperated by special token "|||||". Your task is to summarize them.
Input: Munich, Germany: Sleeping on animal fur in the first three months of life might reduce the risk of asthma in later childhood a new study has found. 
  
 The new research, presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich today (8 September 2014), suggests that exposure to the microbial environment in animal skin and fur could have a protective effect against asthma and allergies. 
  
 Previous studies have suggested that exposure to a wider range of environments fromyoung age could be protective against asthma and allergies. These findings have not been confirmed conclusively in urban settings. In this new study, researchers investigated children from a city environment who had been exposed to animal skin by sleeping on the material shortly after birth. 
  
 Data from a German birth cohort called Lisaplus were used. The cohort included over 3,000 healthy newborns who were mainly recruited in 1998. 
  
 The researchers collected information on exposure to animal skin during the first three months of life, along with information on the health of children until the age of 10 years. Information on 2,441 children was used in the study, with 55% of those included sleeping on animal skin in the first three months of life. 
  
 The results showed that sleeping on animal skin was associated with a reduced risk of a number of factors connected to asthma. The chance of having asthma at the age of 6 years was 79% lower in children who had slept on animal skin after birth compared with those who were not exposed to animal skin. The risk decreased to 41% by the age of 10. 
  
 Dr Christina Tischer, from the Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Centre, said: "Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma. An animal skin might also be a reservoir for various kinds of microbes, following similar mechanisms as has been observed in rural environments. Our findings have confirmed that it is crucial to study further the actual microbial environment within the animal fur to confirm these associations." 
  
 ### ||||| Animal fur might be protective against asthma and allergies, a new study finds. 
  
 The research , just presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress, examined data from 2,441 German children and found an association between sleeping on animal fur, like sheepskin rugs or throws, during their first three months and a decreased risk of asthma later in childhood, by age 10. Snoozing on fur was also associated with a lower risk of hay fever and wheezing. 
  
 Using animal fur as bedding was a common practice in Germany during the 1990s when the data was collected—about 55% of the children examined had slept on animal fur. Sheepskin is among the most popular kind, said lead study author Christina Tischer of the German Research Center for Environmental Health in an email. 
  
 The fur rugs aren’t typically treated with pesticides or strong chemical agents, she said. “We think that this animal fur might act as a reservoir for diverse kind of microbial components which [accumulate] over time within the animal fur,” she wrote. 
  
 Other studies have shown that diverse microbial environments seem to be protective against allergies, supporting the “hygiene hypothesis” that our hypersanitized lives weaken our defenses by not exposing them to enough bacteria to build proper immunity. The live kind may work, too. If you don’t have a spare bear rug in which to swaddle your infant, other studies have shown that infant exposure to pets might make infants less prone to allergies. ||||| Researchers have found that babies sleeping on animal fur for their first 3 months of life could have a reduced risk of developing asthma later in childhood. 
  
 The findings of the research will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich, Germany today. The study suggests that if a baby is exposed to the microbial environment found in animal skin and fur it could derive a degree of protection from asthma and allergies from it. 
  
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases experienced by children. It is characterized by wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightening, and can affect adults equally. 
  
 According to the CDC, 9.3% of children and 8% of non-institutionalized adults in the US have asthma. In 2010, asthma was estimated to have caused 1.8 million visits to emergency departments. These numbers are increasing every year. 
  
 At present, nobody knows what causes the majority of asthma cases or how to cure it. Treatment focuses on alleviating the symptoms, but this new research could prove to be a gateway toward improving what is known about the condition. 
  
 Sleeping on animal fur 
  
 Previous research into this area had indicated that exposure to a variety of different environments from a young age could help defend the body against the onset of asthma and allergies. These findings, however, had yet to be fully confirmed within a city environment. 
  
  
  
 Could exposure to animal fur while sleeping help protect babies from asthma and allergies? Could exposure to animal fur while sleeping help protect babies from asthma and allergies? 
  
 As a result, the researchers chose to investigate children from an urban setting who had been exposed to animal skin by sleeping on it for the first 3 months after birth. They used data from a German birth cohort that included over 3,000 newly born children predominantly recruited in 1998. 
  
 The researchers collected information on the health of the children until they reached 10 years of age. The study utilized data on a total of 2,441 children; of these, 55% slept on animal skin for the first 3 months of their lives. 
  
 They found that the risk of a number of factors connected with asthma was reduced for those sleeping on animal skin. Children who had slept on animal skin were 79% less likely to have developed asthma by the age of 6 than children who had not been exposed to animal skin. 
  
 By the age of 10, the risk of developing asthma had decreased further to 41%. 
  
 'A reservoir of microbes' 
  
 "Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma," said Dr. Christina Tischer of the Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Centre. 
  
 "An animal skin might also be a reservoir for various kinds of microbes, following similar mechanisms as has been observed in rural environments. Our findings have confirmed that it is crucial to study further the actual microbial environment within the animal fur to confirm these associations." 
  
 Although observational, the study suggests a focus for future research. While we are still uncertain of what causes asthma and how it can be cured, research such as this and a study into newborn exposure to dirt and germs can help inform preventative strategies for both asthma and allergies. 
  
 The ERS International Congress this year runs from 6-10 September. The theme for this year's conference is "Breathe Clean Air." The ERS hope that the process of learning more about the quality of air will help people to protect themselves and their respiratory systems in the best way possible. 
  
 Previously, Medical News Today reported on a study that suggested that stress during pregnancy could be linked to the child's asthma risk. ||||| Baby Food From Beech-Nut Nutrition Recalled Due To Broken Glass In Jars (Photo : Flickr/Dustin Liebenow) 
  
 Animal fur may be good for your health--at least if you're a baby. Scientists have found that sleeping on animal fur in the first three months of life may reduce the risk of asthma in later childhood. 
  
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 Previous studies have shown that exposure to a wider range of environments from a young age can actually help children protect themselves against asthma and allergies. While these findings haven't been confirmed conclusively in urban settings, this latest study just adds to the growing body of evidence. 
  
 In this case, scientists examined data from a German birth cohort, which included over 3,000 healthy newborns who were mainly recruited in 1998. The researchers collected information on exposure to animal skin during the first three months of life, along with information on the health of the children until the age of 10 years. In all, information on 2,441 children was used in this study, and 55 percent of those included slept on animal skin in the first three months of life. 
  
 So what did they find? It turns out that sleeping on animal skin was associated with a reduced risk of a number of factors connected to asthma. In fact, the chance of having asthma at the age of six was 79 percent lower in children who had slept on animal skin after birth compared with those who were not exposed to animal skin. The risk decreased to 41 percent by the age of 10. 
  
 "Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma," said Christina Tischer, one of the researchers, in a news release. "An animal skin might also be a reservoir for various kinds of microbes, following similar mechanisms as has been observed in rural environments. Our findings have confirmed that it is crucial to study further the actual microbial environment within the animal fur to confirm these associations." 
  
 The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich. |||||
Output:
Newborns who sleep on animal fur in the first months of life aren't as likely to come down with asthma and allergies later in life, a new study suggests. Researchers aren't talking about snuggling up with a dog or cat—they mean, for example, a sheepskin rug or blanket, explains Time. The study is out of Germany, and such bedding was common there when the kids were born in the 1990s. Followup studies over the years found that those who slept on animal fur in their first three months of life had a 79% lower risk of developing asthma by the age of 6, and a 41% lower risk by the age of 10, reports Science World. They were also less likely to development ailments such as hay fever. "Previous studies have suggested that microbes found in rural settings can protect from asthma," says one of the researchers via Eureka Alert. "An animal skin might also be a reservoir for various kinds of microbes, following similar mechanisms as has been observed in rural environments." Scientists still don't know what causes asthma—it's all about treating symptoms—and results like this can point the way toward future research, says Medical News Today. (One thing that is clear: It's an expensive ailment to have.)