Anti-spike antibody levels lower in infants born to mothers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 at 20 to 32 weeks of gestation<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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TUESDAY, Feb. 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A majority of infants born to COVID-19-vaccinated mothers have persistent anti-spike (anti-S) antibodies at six months, according to a research letter published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association<\/em>.<\/p>\n Lydia L. Shook, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues characterized the persistence of vaccine-induced maternal anti-S immunoglobulin G (IgG) in infant blood after maternal vaccination versus natural infection. Individuals who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy or who were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 at 20 to 32 weeks of gestation were enrolled (77 and 12 mothers, respectively).<\/p>\n The researchers found that at delivery, vaccinated mothers had significantly higher titers, with a mean optical density of 2.03 compared with 0.65 optical density (OD450 to 570<\/sub>) for mothers after infection. The mean cord titers were also higher after vaccination versus natural infection (2.17 versus 1.00 OD450 to 570<\/sub>). Ninety-eight percent of infants of vaccinated mothers had detectable anti-S IgG at two months. The mean titer at two months was 1.29 OD450 to 570<\/sub> and was correlated with maternal and cord titers at delivery. At six months, 57 versus 8 percent of infants born to vaccinated versus infected mothers had detectable antibodies, with mean titers of 0.33 and 0 OD450 to 570<\/sub>, respectively. There was no correlation seen for maternal nor cord titers with infant anti-S titers at six months.<\/p>\n “Pregnant women are at extremely high risk for serious complications from COVID,” a coauthor said in a statement. “And given the lag in development of COVID-19 vaccines for infants, these data should motivate mothers to get vaccinated and even boosted during pregnancy to empower their babies’ defenses against COVID.”<\/p>\n Two authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.<\/p>\n