In 2008, the Journal of Nutrition published Cesarean Delivery May Affect the Early Biodiversity of Intestinal Bacteria, a study aimed at understanding how the mode of delivery can affect the development of a gut micro biome in full term infants born in October of 2003 in Piacenza, Italy. Forty-six infants were enrolled in the study, which recruited eligible cesarean deliveries and the immediately following spontaneous births. Women were not offered enrollment in the research study if they experienced any of the following: prematurity, maternal infections during pregnancy, maternal clinical illness, maternal specific dietary regimen (i.e., vegetarian or any exclusion diet for any reason) as reported by means of last-week dietary recall, maternal antibiotic administration, or probiotic supplementation during the last two weeks of gestation, intra-partum antibiotic prophylaxis and babies given antibiotic prophylaxis or therapy.” (Biasucci, 2008) The entire sample was Caucasian and all were breast fed on demand with no formula supplementation. The fecal samples that were used for analysis were collected on the babies’ third day of life, in order to best understand the effect of delivery mode, as opposed to dietary effect.
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E. coli was found in 39% of the vaginal delivery babies, while only 8.7% of the cesarean babies had the microbial group in their fecal sample. Bifidobacterium- specific primers were present in the samples of 56.5% of the vaginally delivered infants, and none was found in the rest of the babies. Bifidobacteria are very important to the immune system, working to prevent diarrhea in infants and young children, and may be effective against the common cold and the flu and atopic eczema. (Natural Medicines) The profiles indicated a more varied representation of inter and intragroup profiles among vaginally delivered infants, while the cesarean delivered babies had more constant results. Considering that the vaginal delivery process causes contact between the mother and face of the child, there is a greater opportunity for an increased introduction of various microorganisms, the controlled and sterilized nature of a cesarean delivery affects the availability of species for intestinal colonization. (Biasucci, 2008)
As mentioned previously, the representation of intestinal microbiota lends itself to an increased immune system, which may translate into an increased immune system as the child gets older. The findings of the study support the idea that vaginally delivery alone can optimally prepare the child’s immune system and provide an ideal gut environment. Other studies referenced by the article discuss the production of cytokines that are promoted during vaginal delivery that are not seen following a cesarean delivery. Cesarean delivery can be linked to increased instances of “disturbed intestinal colonization, and, possibly, occurrence of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants”. (Biasucci, 2008) In epidemiological studies, cesarean delivery has shown to provide an “increased risk for allergic diseases in later childhood”. (Biasucci, 2008) The decrease in possible gut microbiome population may have a greater effect than may have previously been thought, and elective cesarean delivery may have more effects on the child that should be considered when deciding between a spontaneous delivery or a planned c-section.
BIFIDOBACTERIA. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/PrintVersion.aspx?id=891
Biasucci, G., Benenati, B., Morelli, L., Bessi, E., & Boehm, G. (2008, September). Cesarean Delivery May Affect the Early Biodiversity of Intestinal Bacteria. . Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18716189
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