With birth, the newborn is transferred from a quasi-sterile environment to the outside world.
At this time, the neonatal immune system is inexperienced and continuously subject to a …

In the present review, we highlight the possible “extra-immunological” effects of maternal
immunoglobulins (Ig) transferred to the blood circulation of offspring, either via the placenta …

During the last few decades, maternal immunization as a strategy to protect young infants
from infectious diseases has been increasingly recommended, yet some issues have …

Pregnancy and early infancy are periods of relative immune suppression and increased
vulnerability to infection. In these circumstances infections are associated with high …

Over the last years, an increasing number of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infectious
diseases has been reported. Besides elderly and immunocompromised individuals …

Infants are born with immature immune systems, making it difficult for them to effectively
respond to the infectious pathogens encountered shortly after birth. Maternal antibody is …

The concept of maternal immunization to protect the mother against vaccine-preventable
disease and the neonate against illness for the first 3–6 months of life is one that is simple …

Prematurity affects approximately 10% of all children, resulting in drastically altered antigen
exposure due to premature confrontation with microbes, nutritional antigens, and other …

Maternal immunisation schedules are increasingly coming under the spotlight as part of the
development of lifetime immunisation programmes for the role that they play in improving …

Immunizing pregnant women to protect the mother, fetus and infant from infection has
increasingly been used over the last decade. Protection against infectious diseases in …