Comparison of anti-pneumococcal antibodies in cord blood from australian indigenous and gambian neonates and the implications for otitis media

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: Australian indigenous infants experience the highest incidence of chronic suppurative and acute otitis media in the world with many babies developing disease in the early postnatal period. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the major cause of otitis media in this population. Infants are protected against bacterial disease in the first months of life by passive transfer of maternal antibody across the placenta during the late stages of gestation. We hypothesized that reduced passive immunity may contribute to increased disease risk in this population. We compared the concentrations and function of serotype-specific IgG in cord serum from Australian indigenous neonates and Gambian neonat..