Premature infants are vulnerable to infections, partly because of the low transplacental transfer of maternal antibodies. The present study investigated the placental transfer of maternal rubella-specific antibodies to full-term and preterm infants. The study group consisted of 133 healthy, native Israeli mothers and their 159 newborns. Of these, 69 were full-term infants (gestational age > 37 ...

Background. Tetanus toxoid immunisation of pregnant mother has remained the most effective strategy in eliminating neonatal tetanus. Impaired production and/or transplacental transfer of antibodies may affect the effectiveness of this strategy. We studied the effect of maternal HIV infection on serum levels and transplacental transfer of anti-tetanus antibodies. Methods. A total of 162 mother-b...

Adverse outcome of pregnancy is a potentially dangerous complication of conception and affects 15-20% of pregnancies. According to recent studies increased level of blood antiphospholipids antibodies, if accompanied by predisposing factors, can be an adverse event in human pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to compare the maternal serum levels of anticardiolipin and antiphosphatidyl se...

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) causes life-threatening disease outbreaks in young children in Asia. This cohort study was conducted to understand the dynamics of maternal EV71 antibodies in Taiwanese young infants. Approximately 50% of neonates had detectable EV71 neutralizing antibodies, which declined to almost undetectable levels by 6 months of age.

During pregnancy in autoimmune conditions, maternal autoantibodies are transported across the placenta and may affect the developing fetus. Congenital heart block (CHB) is known to associate with the presence of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies in the mother and is characterized by a block in signal conduction at the atrioventricular (AV) node. The mortality rate of affected infants is 15...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the duration of the presence of maternal antibodies to measles in infants. DESIGN Prospective study (May 2006 to November 2008). SETTING Five hospitals in the Province of Antwerp, Belgium. PARTICIPANTS Of 221 pregnant women recruited, 207 healthy woman-infant pairs were included-divided into a vaccinated group (n=87) and naturally immune group (n=120), according t...

BACKGROUND Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has swept through the major part of Europe in the period 2011-2013. A vaccine against SBV has been developed and may be a possible preventive instrument against infection. Presently, there is no data available to refute the assumption that natural SBV infection results in long-term immunity. In that respect, it is of interest to know how long (protecting) vi...

Pertussis remains a serious infection in young infants. Most deaths occur in the first 3 months of life, before administration of the first dose of pertussis vaccine. Pertussis antibodies are transferred from mother to infant; but because of the lack of serologic correlates of protection, it is difficult to determine the proportion of infants born with a protective concentration of maternal ant...

I SOIMMUNE leukocyte antibodies have been reported frequently since the initial communication of Dausset and Nenna’ in 1952. A large literature has accumulated and was recently fully reviewed by Walford,2 who listed over 500 reports. Most of these have been concerned chiefly with establishing the presence of such antibodies, the mechanisms by which they cause pathological effects being still co...

Pertussis remains a serious infection in young infants. Most deaths occur in the first 3 months of life, before administration of the first dose of pertussis vaccine. Pertussis antibodies are transferred from mother to infant; but because of the lack of serologic correlates of protection, it is difficult to determine the proportion of infants born with a protective concentration of maternal ant...