Exposure to cats shortly after birth raises a child's risk of eczema, new research has indicated.

The study, which tracked 486 children until the age of one, found that while 27.6% of the children with cats as pets developed eczema in that time, only 17.8% of children without cats developed eczema.

The researchers also found that having two or more dogs in your home can actually protect a child slightly against eczema.

However, the researchers say there is still a lot of contradictory data available on pets and allergies and the topic needs further research.

The research was presented at an American Thoracic Society Conference.