Immunological development in infants of allergic parents.

Serum immunoglobulins were determined every 4 months from cord blood to age 2 years in ninety-two infants of allergic parents. By 7 months of age, the concentration of IgA was significantly greater in infants who developed atopic dermatitis than those who did not. The IgA was also significantly greater than in matched non-allergic controls. The difference continued to the end of the 2-year study. No significant difference was found in the three groups for levels of IgG and IgM. These findings differ from the results of a previous report and possible explanations are presented.