title: Prevalence of latex allergy in the community at age 7 years.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Imperial College at St Mary's, London, UK. g.c.roberts@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lack
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Northstone
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golding
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012882:Skin Tests