Immune disturbances after severe enteritis during the first six months of life.

: Infants with severe enteritis and associated prolonged thymic atrophy during the first six months of life showed persistent cell-mediated immune deficiency between the ages of three and five years. Experimental investigations show that early intrauterine and extrauterine stress may lead to permanent cell-mediated immune deficiency and an imbalanced immune response. Trends in disease frequency among different population groups may be influenced in part by the immunity of the host.