LATEX ALLERGY IN CHILDREN WITH SPINS BIFIDA

We studied the prevalence of latex-specific IgE among the children in our myelomeningocele clinic and several groups of controls using skin tests, a commercially available ELISA and an in-house RAST, Thirty-nin e of 83 (47%) children with myelomeningocele had antibodies directed a gainst latex as did 6 of 40 (15.7%) chronically ill controls, 4 of 105 (3.8%) medical controls and 2 of 75 (2.7%) well controls. Within each study group the likelihood of a positive skin test increased with the number of operations the subject had undergone. Children with myelome ningocele were much more likely to have antibodies to latex than were chronically ill controls with similar surgical histories. A retrospect ive chart review of 18 years and a total of 646 operations disclosed o nly one episode of intraoperative anaphylaxis which appeared to be rel ated to latex within our study group.