The relationship between allergy and croup.

The relationship between allergy and croup is examined addressing possible associations between croup and IgE antibody production, and between croup and atopic allergic disorders irrespective of the presence or absence of IgE antibody. A case can be made for an increased association between allergy and recurrent croup. Children with croup are more likely to produce IgE antibodies than normal children without croup and there is an association between the production of IgE antibody to certain respiratory viral infections and the development of croup. There also is an increased association between croup, asthma and nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness associated with asthma.