Background: The causes for sudden infant death (SID) remain unclear. As inf
ants can become sensitized to NRL allergens by pacifiers and latex mattress
es, we tried to establish whether there is a relationship between SID and n
atural rubber latex (NRL) allergy, Methods: We determined NRL-specific IgE
concentrations in 112 unselected cases of SID by the CAP-FEIA method. Resul
ts: NRL-specific IgE could be detected only in 1 sample (0.64 kU/I; CAP cla
ss 1), Conclusions: We conclude that NRL allergy is not a cause of SID.