Assume a woman is pregnant. She has never gotten the chicken pox, but she does now that she is pregnant. The IgG antibodies are passed on from mother to child, i.e; you are born with some of your mother's antibodies to protect you while you are in the womb.
So, basically I want to know if a mother contracts chicken pox while pregnant, and thus creates antibodies, will the baby be immune to the chicken pox too??
Keep in mind that I am a beginner's immunology student and maybe I misunderstood the concept of maternal antibodies.
2006-11-24 07:28:12 · 6 answers · asked by ๑The Goddess๑ 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
Basically only IgG can cross the placenta (via the Bramble Receptor). Just because a baby has circulating antibodies, does not mean it will have immunity. The baby will be immune for a short period of time because of the circulating antibodies, but does not have any memory for chicken pox antigens until he/she is actually exposed to such antigens. So once there are no more circulating IgGs to chicken pox, the baby will lose any immunity it had.
Remember, memory is a result of memory B and T cells, and without these cells, there will be no antibody specific for any given antigen. So the baby needs to be exposed to chicken pox for the first time before it will have any immunity.
2006-11-24 12:33:50 · answer #1 · answered by Brian B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
since the mother never had chicken pox, and she now has it while she is pregnant, that means that she does not have the antibody for the chicken pox, thus the baby does not have it too. The mother and the baby (especially the baby) are in serious danger. If the chicken pox is serious, abortion or c-session might be implemented (depending on the age of the foetus).
I do hope this answers your question.
2006-11-24 09:56:37 · answer #2 · answered by twalola 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the mother got the chicken pox now when she is pregnant, she cannot pass the antibodies of chicken pox to her unborn child because it is now when she's pregnant she develops that communicable disease. What I know is the mother can pass the virus to the baby and the unborn child will develop some deformities (e.g blindness, deafness) or the baby will be born with chicken pox
2006-11-24 12:25:25 · answer #3 · answered by chelsie is megan's mom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
From what I understand about immunology...I am also a beginner immunology student the baby is protected by the mother's immune system for only a few months, but after that, they need their own vaccination. With any disease...if the mother is immunized...the IgG antibodies will be present in the child...however...within a few months...these are not enough or in high enough quntities to protect the child and they need to be immunized for themselves.
2006-11-24 07:37:27 · answer #4 · answered by Jamie J 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
antibodies are a great thing to have around, but they don't stick around forever. you need specific types of lymphocytes (which have been sensitized by YOUR infection) to produce more. the passive immunity passed by the mother to the child will be temporary. colostrum in breast milk can help prolong the presence of certain antibodies if passed from the mother to the child.
2006-11-25 02:03:51 · answer #5 · answered by bad guppy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-11-26 20:21:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋