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Antigen treatment of neonatal epidermis results in antigen‐specific immune suppression. Compared with adult counterparts, neonatal Langerhans' cells (LC) demonstrate an impaired ability to transport antigen to the lymph node (LN). As it is possible that neonatal LC have a reduced ability to endocytose antigen, we evaluated the acquisition of endocytic function, the expression of uptake receptors and the internalization of soluble and small particulate antigens in neonatal, juvenile and adult mice. Although LC from 4‐day‐old mice were weakly positive for the mannose‐type receptor, Langerin, they were capable of internalizing fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐dextran, but to a lesser extent than LC from 6‐week‐old mice. However, when ratio data were calculated to account for variations in fluorescence intensity at 4°, it was demonstrated that neonatal LC continued to internalize antigen over a longer period of …