Missed Opportunity For Microbiome Foundation May Influence Immune Development
A recent international study published in PLoS Medicine discovered that babies born via cesarean section were hospitalized more often in early childhood for infection compared to infants delivered vaginally. This increased risk remained until the children turned 5 years old. The most common infections observed in this research were respiratory, gastrointestinal, and viral. The research team’s proposed explanation for their finding centers around the intricate relationship the microbiome has in training and developing the human immune system. Babies who pass through the birth canal pick up beneficial bacteria from their mother. This bacteria establishes or seeds the infant’s initial microbiome which sets up a situation for optimal immune development. Infants born via c-section miss out on this important opportunity. Two months ago, researchers discovered more evidence that autism is linked to microbiome imbalances.
