Strunk T, van Haren SD, Hibbert J, et al. - Researchers examined how blood cAMP concentrations are associated with TLR-mediated cytokine production in infants during the first month of life. Analysis of cord and serial peripheral blood samples (days of life 1–28) obtained from a cohort of very preterm (< 30 weeks’ gestational age) and term human infants revealed higher cAMP concentrations in cord vs peripheral blood, higher cAMP concentrations in cord blood of female preterm infants, and lower cAMP concentrations at days 1 and 7 in infants exposed to chorioamnionitis, even after adjusting for leukocyte counts. The ontogeny of blood cAMP concentrations and associations with chorioamnionitis and TLR-mediated production of cytokines hint the value of this secondary messenger in shaping distinct neonatal pathogen responses in early life.