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New study finds Caesarean babies have a weaker immune system than those born the natural way.

By on September 19, 2019

 

Research scientists find that babies born vaginally or by natural method received most of their gut bacteria (microbiome) from their mother.

 

caesarean

Babies born via caesarean had more bacteria associated with hospital environments in their guts and less of protective bacteria that they should have been exposed to through the birth canal, according to a new study published in Nature International Journal of Science yesterday.

Researchers studied 1,679 gut bacteria samples from 596 babies and 175 mothers. Faecal samples were from four, seven or 21-day old babies  born in UK hospitals by natural birth or caesarean operation. Some babies were also followed up later, until one year of age.

University of College London Clinical Associate Professor and main author of the study, Dr Nigel Field, said: “Babies are sterile when they are in the womb.

“And the moment they are born is the moment when the immune system has a huge number of bacteria that is it presented with.”

“And so the hypothesis is that that moment of birth might be a sort of thermostat moment which sets the immune system for future life.”

“They have a slightly higher risk of asthma, or inflammatory bowel disease and other allergic conditions.”

In summary, the study found significant differences between babies born by caesarean and those born by natural birth and that the long-term consequences are still unknown.

 

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