After birth, your baby is exposed to numerous pathogens: it leaves your protected womb and suddenly comes into contact with a wide variety of germs. However, through what is known as passive immunity (nest protection), it is protected against a multitude of pathogens. These are maternal antibodies that the baby is supplied with throughout the entire pregnancy.
In this article, you will find out exactly what passive immunity is and which pathogens your baby is immune to after birth. At the same time, we summarize how long this protection lasts, how your vaccination status affects passive immunity, and whether breastfeeding has an influence on your baby's antibodies.
What is passive immunity in newborns?
Throughout the entire pregnancy, your baby is protected from pathogens inside your womb. Although the baby's immune system begins to function even before birth, it did not yet have to produce antibodies until birth. This changes abruptly on the day of birth.
To ensure your baby is not left defenseless against the world's pathogens, your body transfers your antibodies to your baby during pregnancy. This immunization progresses from approximately the 20th week of pregnancy, and your baby has more antibodies in its blood from day to day.
When it is born, it is therefore immune to some bacteria and viruses and thus has short-term borrowed immunity. Premature babies usually have a slightly lower concentration of antibodies because they had less time to take over the maternal antibodies.
Which diseases is the baby protected against?
After birth, your baby has immunity to diseases that you have already had. Your body has produced antibodies that are passed from your blood to your baby. This also applies to diseases you are vaccinated against: the vaccination results in your body having produced antibodies against them.
Passive immunity can thus protect your baby from the following diseases after birth:
Diphtheria
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Measles
Mumps
This protection usually exists in the first months of life before it slowly fades over time. Your baby can also be immune to flu and whooping cough due to the antibodies in the maternal blood. Your own immunization against these diseases is decisive for the strength of the passive immunity.
However, there are also numerous infections against which your baby is not immune through passive immunity. These include, among others, meningococci or pneumococci.
How long does passive immunity work?
It is difficult to say generally how long passive immunity is maintained in your baby's body. Basically, the protection is strongest directly after birth and is then gradually broken down. Your baby's immune system then starts to work independently and must fend off the pathogens itself.
The decisive factor is how high the concentration of antibodies is in your own body during pregnancy. If your body has produced a particularly large number of antibodies against a specific disease, then your baby will be immune to it for longer.
It also makes a difference whether you, as the mother, have gone through a disease or are only vaccinated against it. This is because, as a rule, antibodies are significantly higher after an infection than after a vaccination. This also affects the transfer of antibodies to your baby.
Passive immunity will continue to decrease during your baby's first year of life. It is strongest in the first three months after birth and then fades away. Accordingly, doctors recommend vaccinating babies in good time.
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When should babies be vaccinated?
To ensure babies are protected as well as possible against infectious diseases, they should be vaccinated before passive immunity expires completely. Although your baby's immune system begins its function in the womb, it still needs a certain amount of time to work properly.
During this phase, it easily becomes infected with measles or chickenpox, for example. These diseases are highly contagious and therefore spread particularly quickly among children. They should not be underestimated, because even supposedly harmless diseases can have serious consequences or even lead to death.
Therefore, it is advisable to follow the vaccination recommendations for young children. It is best to talk to your doctor and have all vaccinations carried out on schedule. This ensures that your child quickly forms the required antibodies and is protected against persistent infectious diseases.
In addition, it can be useful for the baby's close relatives to be vaccinated as well, in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible.
How do maternal vaccinations affect the infant?
Since the mother's immunity has a major influence on the newborn's passive immunity, the vaccination status during pregnancy is of great importance. The more antibodies you have, the better your baby is protected after birth.
Therefore, it can be advisable to have important vaccinations refreshed in advance if a pregnancy is planned. This is usually possible without any problems at your family doctor: they can check your vaccination card to see if your protection against measles or rubella needs to be refreshed. This service is also usually offered by gynecologists.
Some vaccinations are also recommended during pregnancy. This includes whooping cough, for example: vaccinating the mother can reduce the risk of a fatal infection with whooping cough by about 95%.
Therefore, the Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends a vaccination against whooping cough for expectant mothers. This should take place from the 28th week of pregnancy and be refreshed with every pregnancy.
Does passive immunity work better through breastfeeding?
Passive immunity is divided into two phases: the first phase occurs before birth, when the child receives the antibodies from the mother's blood. The breastfeeding period represents the second phase of passive immunity.
This is because further antibodies are transferred to the baby during breastfeeding. This means that breast milk can also help to strengthen your baby's immune system. Doctors therefore say that breastfed babies are better protected against infections.
The first milk, also called colostrum, is particularly valuable. It is produced in the first five days after birth and is particularly rich in antibodies. Thus, further defenses can be transferred to the child.
However, newborns receive fewer antibodies via breast milk than via the umbilical cord. The milk does not enter the baby's bloodstream, but only the intestines. But even there, the baby can absorb further antibodies that will have a positive effect on its immune system.
Automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep: Natural sleep aid for your baby
For your baby's magnificent development, restful sleep is also important. When your baby sleeps, it processes the impressions of the day and continues to develop. However, many newborns have difficulty falling asleep and sleeping through restfully.
That's why we developed the automatic baby hammock from swing2sleep. Your baby lies snugly enclosed in a hammock, while the automatic baby hammock motor rocks it to sleep with gentle up and down movements. This not only makes falling asleep easier: your baby can also sleep through better. This ensures relaxed moments for your baby, but also for you as parents.
Conveniently, you can easily control the automatic baby hammock via an app and also receive push notifications immediately when your baby wakes up. Thanks to the motion sensors, the hammock can adapt its intensity to your baby and rock it back to sleep just before it wakes up.
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