Cord blood levels of neutralizing antibody and protection of infants from hospitalization due to respiratory syncytial virus

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Stensballe et al performed an elegant study of the temporal association of cord-blood respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antibody levels and hospitalization for RSV in infants under 6 months of age in Denmark. The Figure in the report shows a remarkable seasonality of neutralizing antibody levels, with mean antibody titers > 7.5 to the log base 2 associated with rapid decline in infant hospitalizations for RSV.

Protective levels of RSV antibody in cord blood are undoubtedly the consequence (with clear benefit to the newborn) of RSV activity in the community and maternal infection. Whether such transplacental protection of infants < 6 months from infection then halts the RSV season is a matter of speculation that the authors favor.