According to previous clinical studies, cesarean section increases the fetus's risk of developing asthma, hospital-acquired infections, gastrointestinal inflammation, and a number of other diseases associated with immune system dysfunction. These risks are believed to be increased due to the lack of exposure to the mother's bacteria as the fetus passes through the birth canal.
While it's common practice to treat a baby after a cesarean section with the mother's vaginal bacteria, a new study demonstrates the low effectiveness of this procedure. A significant effect is achieved with the mother's fecal microbiota, administered to the baby from the first day of life, according to Nature.
Ninety women applied to participate in the experiment, but only 36 were selected due to the absence of pathogens in the samples. Their newborns were assigned either to a placebo group or to a transplant group receiving 3.5 mg of maternal feces from the first day of life.
At birth, all cesarean section infants had similar microbial diversity, but after treatment, a noticeable difference was observed in the second group as early as the second day of life. These positive changes persisted until six months, when infants typically begin to try solid foods.
Notably, the results confirm an earlier small study in which microbiota transplantation helped cesarean section infants acquire a microbiota similar to that of infants born vaginally. In the current study, the researchers demonstrated that the new approach is more effective than treating infants with the mother's vaginal bacteria.
Scientists are currently exploring the potential of using laboratory-produced bacterial samples. First and foremost, they will be guaranteed to be free of pathogens. Furthermore, scientists will be able to manipulate the quantities of specific strains to ensure the best therapeutic effect.
Previously, other scientists discovered that an imbalance of intestinal bacteria in children due to antibiotic use in the first days of life increases the risk of psychoemotional instability: they exhibit more aggressive behavior due to increased activation of certain genes.
