Predictive value of IGE in the newborn infant

To study the relationship of IgE titles to development of allergy disease in the nursing, it was quantified the levels of this immunoglobulin in blood of the umbilical cord in healthy term eutrofic infants born consecutively in a period of two months. A total of 74 infants were followed for six with monthly appointments. The mean of IgE was 0.08 IU/ml with standard deviation of 0.15. Only two infants developed allergy, this determined a negative predictive value for IgE of 94%. Our outputs agree with that of other authors with respect to high negative predictive value of the low or normal levels of IgE in blood of the umbilical cord and the development of allergy. We concluded that its determination should limit to infants with family antecedent of atopy in order to improve the capacity of prediction of this illness.