We know that the way you are born can influence your baby’s health . Studies conducted over the years have been commissioned to investigate the differences in the health and development of children when they are born naturally and when they are born by cesarean section.
Now a new study presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases adds one more difference to the list: the way of birth alters the baby’s microbiota, which could influence their respiratory health during the first year of life .
Conducted in the Netherlands, the study entitled “Microbiome Utrecht Infant Study” analyzed the differences in the gut microbiota (the community of living microorganisms residing in the digestive tract) of children born vaginally and those born by caesarean section.
In it, it was found that babies who were born by cesarean section had a delay in the normal development of their gut microbiota , as well as a greater abundance of potentially harmful bacteria, compared to those who were born naturally or vaginally.
To reach this result , the development of the intestinal microbiota was analyzed in 120 babies , 46 born by cesarean section and 74 born vaginally, from birth to their first year, through samples collected from their stool on 10 occasions during that time. .
This finding is relevant because the intestinal microbiota influences respiratory health, which could increase the risk of suffering from respiratory diseases during the first year of life , and coincides with a study we shared a few years ago, in which it was found that being born by cesarean section increased the risk of asthma.
For several years it has been known that vaginal delivery is the most recommended in most cases and when a pregnancy proceeds normally, not only because it represents a lower risk for mother and baby, but also because, at birth by Vaginally, the baby is “contaminated” by the mother’s bacteria, which helps the development of certain “good bacteria” that will help protect them from other threats, such as certain diseases or conditions .
During these analyzes, it was also found that the intestinal microbiota of the first months of life was related to the total number of respiratory infections during the first year .
The researchers comment that although it is a great finding, more studies are needed to fully understand the consequences of the differences in the colonization of the intestinal microbiota, caused by the way of birth .
And although it may not be the best news for mothers who have had our children by cesarean section (for whatever reason), these kinds of studies can help us design and create strategies that help prevent possible health problems in babies. that are born by cesarean section .
Photo | iStock Via | Eurekalert
