Other data have suggested that high levels of
maternal antibodies might actually interfere with the infant's own ability to mount an adequate response to the pertussis antigens in the pediatric DTaP vaccine that give the infant longer-lasting protection against pertussis.
(%) Mean Median Range Seroconversion 102 (94) 2.30 2.08 0.31-6.00 Secondary 38 (35) 4.79 4.77 0.73-9.79 response ([dagger]) Reconversion 7 (6) 6.29 7.07 1.59-8.15 *
Maternal antibodies, i.e., low-level (vanishing) IgG, were detected in 35/88 children from whom serum was taken [less than or equal to] 6 mo.
Further work is needed to assess whether infectious virus can be isolated from healthy transplacentally infected calves that have colostrum-derived
maternal antibodies, because infectious virus needs to be present if transplacental infection is to play a major role in overwintering.
Explanations include the possibility that very young infants may be shielded from mosquito bites or that
maternal antibodies are highly protective during this interval (20).
Prevalence, antigenic specificity, and bactericidal activity of poultry anti-Campylobacter
maternal antibodies. Appl Environ Microbiol.
In most cases,
maternal antibodies protect the baby.
Transplacental
maternal antibodies protect young infants from infectious diseases.
"An increased daily infusion of
maternal antibodies at a time when their own immunological systems are least efficient may provide bedsharing/breastfeeding infants with increased protection from infectious diseases, some potentially related to SIDS," the researchers said.
A subset of 250 mothers and their infants were enrolled to compare the rate of transfer of
maternal antibodies. Within this subset, 101 infants had serial serum sampling at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months of age.
Screening should be deferred until 12 months of age to allow passively acquired
maternal antibodies to disappear.
Recent encouraging studies indicate that vaccination of day-old chicks with
maternal antibodies against fowlpox has been successful.
Newborns, who are at risk for severe disease, would then receive at least some protection by
maternal antibodies. In the elderly, another high-risk population, a universal vaccine may be particularly advantageous because the protective antibodies are generated by memory B cells that tend to be maintained into old age and can be recalled by booster vaccination.
