The protection of the babies does not last long

a Baby to the world, so it is in many ways not yet ready for life outside the mother's abdomen. The immune system and the Smallest is still very immature. A little bit of nature has. Certain anti-body to the Unborn child during pregnancy via the umbilical cord of the Mother. This phenomenon is called the nest protect. However, the nest protect does not last long, and a new study by the University of Ontario shows: In the case of measles, the nest does not hold protection long as long as previously thought.

More than 90 percent of the babies have lost the protection in the age of four months. However, especially in the first six months of the disease can be particularly difficult. Previously, it was believed that a Baby was protected if his mother is vaccinated against measles, the first six to nine months of life.

protection takes on quickly

For their study, the canadian researchers were looking for in the blood samples of 196 babies at various time points after measles antibodies. The children were healthy and on schedule born. In maternal blood anti-body to swim against certain diseases, depending on which vaccinations to get the mother and what illnesses she has gone through. Especially in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, the immunoglobulins can penetrate the placenta – how, we know not yet exactly – and, via the umbilical cord into the body of the Unborn child.

The immune system is weakened after a
measles disease for months,
sometimes for years.

Still, the number of Measles antibodies in the blood of the babies fell after birth rapidly. 20 percent of the infants had already in the first month of life are not a sufficient protection, 32 percent in the second. Already in the course of the third month of life, more than two-thirds of the babies had no nest protection against measles and more, in the course of the fourth of this value increased to 92 percent. After six months, a Baby has been protected against measles.

Important herd protection

"are The important Numbers," said Christoph Berger, head of the Department of infectious diseases and hospital hygiene at the Zurich children's hospital. Just when you think that the maternity leave takes in Switzerland for four months, and many babies visited then a crib. "The Only thing that can protect the baby until the ninth month before the measles, the vaccination of all contacts," says Berger.

This means, in particular, those children should be in the crib vaccinated themselves they are old enough for measles vaccination. This is also called herd protection. Who can't get a vaccination, it is protected anyway, because nobody will fall ill in the environment. The Federal office of public health (BAG) has changed the Swiss vaccination plan this year. The measles vaccine can have babies, now nine months. In the case of a measles outbreak in the vicinity, this date may be moved up to six months. But then the baby needs a total of three doses of vaccine instead of usually only two.

"This is an interesting study," says Christiane S. Eberhardt, senior physician at the vaccination centre of the Unispitals Geneva, which conducts research on these topics. There are always in Switzerland, the discussion about the measles vaccine. The new Figures on the nest give protection to the discussions for more explosiveness. "A few weeks ago a large study in the journal "Science", also, how far-reaching the consequences of a history of measles infection has been demonstrated," says Eberhardt. The measles is a virus that deletes a part of the memory of our immune system.

While opponents accept, a recent measles disease, the strength of the defense, is exactly the opposite of the case. The immune system is weakened after a measles disease for months, sometimes years, and those Affected are more susceptible to other diseases.

Why vaccinates the babies just before, you might ask yourself. This has two reasons. The immune system of the baby is not in the first few months, yet Mature enough to produce enough antibodies in response to vaccination. The protection effect is not sufficient. In addition, all the antibodies received by the Baby from its mother should not be gone, because otherwise, the immune system of a baby reacts strongly enough to a few body to create antibodies.

danger from whooping cough

Not only measles are dangerous, even whooping cough, may extend in the first months of deadly. Only a few weeks old child can get during the violent, prolonged coughing spells to the lack of oxygen and suffocation. For this reason, vaccination of all pregnant women in Switzerland since 2013. In the second third of the pregnancy you should get a whooping cough vaccination in order to transfer the largest possible number of antibodies to the Unborn. Also in this case, the protection decreases after birth relatively quickly. "We know from large studies that the risk for the baby decreases strongly, when the mother gets during pregnancy, a whooping cough vaccination," says Eberhardt.

unlike in the case of measles, babies get the first dose of vaccine against whooping cough at the age of two months. Vaccination against whooping cough/Pertussis is an Inactivated vaccine and therefore, even at this young age is safe. However, the Baby needs three doses to be fully protected. But after the second dose at the age of four months, the protection is quite good. Killed vaccines contain no active ingredients of the Virus and are therefore possible during pregnancy. The vaccine against measles is a live vaccine. Also it contains only strongly attenuated components of the Virus, nevertheless, the Physicians use it during pregnancy.

The flu vaccination also helps the mother-to-be.

Since 2010, the experts of the BAG to pregnant rates for women in addition to a flu vaccination. The vaccination is performed during pregnancy, transfers the mother to the Flu antibodies on to your unborn child. "The first Winter on earth is for babies is a challenge," explains infections Loge Berger. You have a year in the first half of the year, if you suffer from influenza, a high risk of complications such as over 70. The flu vaccination also helps the mother-to-be. Pregnant women have histories, a greater risk for severe illness because your immune system changes. In addition, the ever-growing concentrated at the end of the stomach, the lungs, which also increases the risk for complications. A Flu can also trigger early labor.

And what is Silent with the? will ask some perhaps. During breastfeeding, antibodies from the mother pass to the child. However, these are more likely to be against harmless, for the Moment, rampant diseases. So breastfed infants receive some protection against gastro-intestinal infections and colds.

Created: 28.11.2019, 21:58 PM