General Info
Neonatal immunity
- The mother starts providing IgG to the baby at around 20 weeks gestation
- Levels increase dramatically until birth, where they peak
- After birth the maternal IgG is gradually removed from the blood, and endogenous IgG is produced. However, IgG production is not as quick as IgG breakdown, and as a result, IgG levels are lower than those at birth – even for the first few years of life. They are lowest at about 3 years of age.
- Biggest cause of acute illness in children
- 7 million deaths in children under 5 worldwide each year
