Study Shows Newborns’ Immune Systems Ramp Up After Birth

A new study shows newborns’ immune systems ramp up immediately after birth, which has been difficult to assess previously because doing so has relied on samples taken from the umbilical cord immediately after birth. In this study, researchers used a new immune cell analysis technique to follow 100 premature and full-term babies for their first few weeks of life, and they found “drastic changes in the babies’ immune systems between each sampling,” showing their immune systems are highly dynamic early in life,” said Petter Brodin at the Science for Life Laboratory and the department of women’s and children’s health at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. “What surprised us was how similar the changes were amongst babies,” he said. “It seems as if all babies follow one and the same pattern, with their immune systems responding with exactly the same sequence of dramatic changes. It’s almost like a well-choreographed dance, a practiced routine.”

According to Brodin, by monitoring the development of the immune system, it may be possible to prevent autoimmune diseases and allergies that are partly related to the development of the immune system. In addition, this understanding may help to develop better vaccines tailored to the neonatal immune system. The researchers plan to enroll more babies in their study and follow them into childhood to see which of them develop diabetes, allergies, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease.