1992 Volume 6 Issue 5 Pages 415-422
Neutrophil function was assessed in 22 normal term infants, their mothers, and healthy adult controls. Chemotaxis, reactive oxygen generating capacity of neutrophils and serum opsonic activity were measured. Those were significantly low in the cord blood compared to the maternal blood and controls. Therefore, neutrophil function of normal term infants was depressed and such impairment may contribute to the morbidity and mortality observed in serious neonatal infections. Chemotactic function in their mothers was lower than that of the controls, but other functions were similar to that of the controls. The number of neutrophils was increased in maternal blood, which may play a role to protect from bactericidal infections at delivery. Statistically significant correlation was observed between reactive oxygen generating capacity of cord neutrophils and their maternal neutrophils. This study indicates that the bactericidal activity of maternal neutrophils is a factor for inferring the bactericidal activity of their infant neutrophils.
