Prenatal and maternal influences on newborn immune responses of US urban children
Immunologic responses at birth likely relate to subsequent risks for allergic diseases and wheezing in infancy, but maternal and prenatal influences on neonatal responses are not well understood. At birth, cord blood mononuclear cells can respond to both innate and adaptive stimuli, although innate responses are more developed. The innate immune system defends the host from infection in a nonspecific manner. The adaptive immune system confers more longlasting protective immunity against infection but also can be involved in allergic responses. Gold et al (p 1078) evaluated the influences of maternal and prenatal factors on cord blood mononuclear cell cytokine production in response to innate and adaptive stimuli in 560 and 49 children from families with and without an allergy/asthma history participating in URECA, a prospective multicenter urban birth cohort study. Responses to stimuli were generally lower to adaptive than innate stimuli and were lower in infants with a parental history of allergy/asthma. Season of birth (see Figure), birth weight, gestational age, and ethnicity influenced the magnitude of the responses. Maternal asthma was associated with reduced cytokine responses to respiratory syncytial virus. Pregnancy, birth, and family characteristics influence immune responses in children at birth. Follow-up of these urban children will help us understand the clinical implications of our findings on allergy and asthma development. Read the full article here.

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