...although parental atopy clearly increases the risk of atopic disease development in infants, there is little evidence in the literature to support antigen-specific transmission of risk. Additionally, a series of studies by the Galli laboratory have identified a role for MC proteases in degrading xenobiotic reptile and insect venoms,10 and a specific role for IgE was determined for honey bee venom and Russel viper venom. ...maternal transmission of IgE may also provide a degree of protection to infants against stings and bites that are potentially otherwise lethal, particularly in populations with high levels of exposure and sensitization. ...Msallam et al6 definitively established that both IgG and IgE are capable of crossing the maternal-fetal interface via FcRN and that the IgE that passes to the fetus in this manner can be bound by MCs in both mice and humans.6 From an evolutionary perspective, maternal transmission of IgE may have evolved to help protect newborn mammals from xenobiotic venoms and ectoparasites.