Cesarean Section and Microbiome

Babies born by C-section have an increased risk of developing immune and metabolic disorders, which have been associated with gut microbiota. Several studies have shown that wiping a baby’s mouth, face, and skin with their mother’s vaginal fluids after a C-section, also known as maternal-child microbial seeding, may partially restore the gut microbiota.
The review discusses the rationale for maternal-child microbial seeding, the current evidence of the efficacy of such interventions, and the controversies surrounding them.
The authors conclude that large-scale, randomized controlled trials of maternal-child microbial seeding are needed to verify whether the intervention is safe and improves health outcomes in babies born by C-section.

Hourigan SK, Dominguez-Bello MG, Mueller NT. Can maternal-child microbial seeding interventions improve the health of infants delivered by Cesarean section? Cell Host Microbe. 2022 May 11;30(5):607-611. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.02.014. PMID: 35550663; PMCID: PMC9237654.