The intrauterine environment was long considered sterile. However, several infectious
threats are already present during fetal life. This review focuses on the postnatal …

The extreme vulnerability of preterm infants to invasive microbial infections has been
attributed to “immature” innate immune defenses. Monocytes are important innate immune …

Background Preterm infants are highly vulnerable to infectious disease. While many factors
are likely to contribute to this enhanced susceptibility, the immature nature of the preterm …

Fetal growth is determined by the feto-placental genome interacting with the maternal in
utero environment. Failure of this interplay leads to poor placental development and fetal …

The perinatal period has often been described as immune deficient. However, it has become
clear that immune responses in the neonate following exposure to microbes or as a result of …

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most frequent pregnancy complications. It affects millions of
babies each year worldwide and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. PTB …

Background During the first year of life, B-cell level is a valuable indicator of whether
external factors, such as exposure to B-cell–depleting therapies, have an adverse impact on …

Preterm infants born before 32 weeks gestational age (GA) have high rates of late onset
sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) despite recent improvements in infection …

Preterm infants are more susceptible to severe bacterial and viral infectious diseases than
their full-term counterparts. A major contributor to this increased susceptibility may be due to …

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common viral pathogen associated with acute
lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children under 5 years of age. Severe RSV disease …