Some of you who live in Canada may have seen the recent episode of Marketplace on CBC-TV which featured a segment on latex allergy. With the proliferation of the use of latex gloves, there has been a virtual explosion in the rates of latex allergy. S/S can range from mild local irritation to anaphylaxis. They estimate that as many as 10% of health care workers in the US are now sensitized to latex. A spokesperson for an organization of latex-allergy sufferers (I'm sorry, I didn't get the name of this org.)said that latex nipples on bottles and soothers DO expose babies to the latex proteins, and any exposure may contribute to later sensitization. Obviously, many babies require feeding which, for various reasons, will not come from mothers' breasts. Some babies also spend hours each day sucking on latex pacifiers. I have never seen this issue addressed before in any forum. It could be chalked up to another hidden advantage of breastfeeding, but what are the implications of this? Any thoughts? Catherine Mallon Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada