Seroprevalance of pertussis antibodies in maternal and cord blood of preterm and term infants

Abstract

Background: The resurgence of pertussis has resulted in an increased morbidity and mortality, especially among young infants. The aim of our study was to determine the antibody concentrations against pertussis antigens in cord and maternal blood in both preterm and term infant-mother pairs and to evaluate the efficacy of transplacental antibody transfer.