Development of the Blood‐CSF Barrier

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Abstract
The development of the blood-CSF barrier was investigated by establishing total protein, individual protein levels and cell-counts in the CSF and serum of 185 healthy children, with an age range from 27 fetal wk to 16 yr. Albumin, .alpha.2-macroglobulin and IgG were found in all CSF specimens. With the exception of IgG, their concentrations decreased continuously until the end of the 1st yr of life. IgM was not present in the CSF and IgA was found in only a few cases. Serum:CSF ratios of individual proteins increased continuously from the fetal period to the 1st yr, and there was a decline in barrier selectivity during the same period. Maturation of the barrier was maximal during the 3rd mo. of life, decreasing quickly thereafter. The barrier condition of preterm infants was closely related to conceptional age, but not to the time of birth.