Is there a relation between an increase in IgM in the newborn infant and the course of pregnancy and labor?

Abstract

In order to check the significance of the serum IgM concentration in newborns the IgM levels in the placental blood of 263 randomly selected neonates were determined; in 105 of these children the IgM concentration was again determined on the 6th day of life. The maternal IgM concentrations were also determined for the purpose of comparison. All of the newborns were allocated to infection risk categories on the basis of history and clinical data. The findings were evaluated on the basis of the mean values with simple standard deviation, single-case analysis and arrangement of the medium values in sequence. Significantly elevated IgM concentrations were found in newborns with the risk factor asphyxia on the 6th day of life. There was a certain tendency to elevated IgM concentrations - established on the basis of the mean values and the median value grouping - in the groups with maternal infection, premature rupture, frequent vaginal examination, and post-term birth of the child. The investigation shows that the majority of elevated IgM concentrations in neonates in whom no infection can be found are not closely correlated to a certain risk factor. An elevated IgM concentration in a newborn appears to be a factor of low specificity with regard to infection. However, in the diagnosis of neonatal infections it provides additional information in the overall context of the clinical examination.