The mucosal immune system of neonates goes through successive, non-redundant phases
that support the developmental needs of the infant and ultimately establish immune …

Our environment poses a constant threat to our health. To survive, all organisms must be
able to discriminate between good (food ingredients and microbes that help digest our food) …

Although largely deprived from exogenous stimuli in utero, the mucosal barriers of the
neonate after birth are bombarded by environmental, nutritional, and microbial exposures …

The mucosal surfaces of the gut and airways have important barrier functions and regulate
the induction of immunological tolerance. The rapidly increasing incidence of chronic …

The innate immune system instructs the host on microbial exposure and infection. This
information is critical to mount a protective innate and adaptive host response to microbial …

Invasive sepsis in the newborn period is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality
worldwide. The infant immune system undoubtedly differs intrinsically from the mature adult …

The human fetus and neonate are unduly susceptible to infection with a number of bacterial,
fungal, protozoal, and viral agents, many of which are not pathogenic in older children and …

The mucosal immune system fulfils the primary function of defence against potential
pathogens that may enter across vulnerable surface epithelia. However, a secondary …

The human fetus lives in a germ-free intrauterine environment and enters the outside world
containing microorganisms from several sources, resulting in gut colonization. Full-term …

During early post-natal life, neonates must adjust to the transition from the sheltered intra-
uterine environment to the microbe-laden external world, wherein they encounter a …