Prevalence of latex allergy in the community at age 7 years

BACKGROUND: Latex allergy has been highlighted as a problem in children during the last decade based on a number of case series of children with particular problems such as spina bifida. The actual prevalence of latex allergy in the general United Kingdom population is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of childhood latex allergy in the general population. METHODS: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children is a geographically based cohort that has been prospectively followed since birth. The children were invited for skin prick testing at 7 years of age. RESULTS: Four subjects out of 1877 tested were sensitized to latex. None had a history of clinical reactions to latex. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the prevalence of latex sensitization and clinical latex allergy in the general childhood population are very low, 0.2% (95% confidence interval 0.1-0.6%) and 0.0% (0-0.2%), respectively.