title: Pertussis serostatus among neonates born to Hispanic women.
abstract: The reasons for the higher pertussis incidence among Hispanic infants, compared with among infants of other ethnicities, are unknown. The geometric mean concentration of pertussis toxin-specific immunoglobulin G in serum samples from 220 Hispanic neonates was 8.45 EU/mL, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and it was significantly lower if mothers were adolescents (4.63 EU/mL; P < or =.001). A lack of maternal immunity is one explanation for pertussis susceptibility in very young Hispanic infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. chealy@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: C Mary
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: Marcia A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rench
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Carol J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D018579:Patient Selection; D011247:Pregnancy; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology*