Cesarean Birth, Prolonged Labor can Influence Infant Gut Bacteria

Cesarean section delivery and prolonged labor can cause changes in infant's gut microbes and may lead to increased risk of allergies and childhood obesity, reports a new study.

Events at birth could affect the microbes present in a baby's gut, leading to a higher risk of allergies and childhood obesity, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Gastroenterology.

The complex link between a child's birth events, the gut microbiome at 2 and 12 months of age, and health outcomes at ages 1 and 3 are analyzed using CHILD Cohort Study (CHILD) data.

Pain Management During Labor
The labor pain or pain of childbirth is considered as the one of the most severe types of pain. It was in the mid- nineteenth century the pharmacologic management of labor pain was introduced.

‘Infants born after prolonged labor or C-section delivery are found to be at higher risk of allergies and childhood obesity.’

They linked factors like prolonged labor and cesarean section delivery to changes in the infant's gut microbes. They then discovered the pathways by which these changes may lead to an enhanced risk of allergies and obesity later in childhood.

Senior author Anita Kozyrskyj said the findings highlight the importance of recognizing multiple and common pathways of the gut microbiome during infancy.

"Much of what occurs to us later in life is linked to the exposures we face in infancy and early childhood," she stated. "Understanding how disturbances to the gut microbiome influence health in later childhood means we may have various options for effective interventions to prevent these chronic conditions before they become established."

Cesarean Delivery and Other Complications can be Averted by Inducing Labor at 39 Weeks
Cesarean delivery can be prevented if labor is induced in healthy pregnant women at 39 weeks, says study.

The study revealed that infants born by cesarean section were more likely to have a high body mass index (BMI)score at ages 1 and 3. When the researchers analyzed the children's microbiome profiles at 3 months of age, they found that an altered ratio of two types of bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Bacteroidaceae, was the dominant path to overweight.

The takeaway from this study is that exposures at birth could trigger multiple and common gut microbial pathways leading to childhood obesity and allergic sensitization.

"Say No To Unnecessary C-Sections" - Cesarean Awareness Month
Did you know that one third of all deliveries is by cesarean section? Cesarean awareness month, observed in April aims to create awareness on cesarean section births and reducing unnecessary cesarean sections.

Hence, essential steps should be taken to avoid unnecessary cesarean section deliveries, and likely consider postnatal microbiota solutions that could help prevent these two conditions.

Source-Medindia

International Cesarean Awareness Month � Not All C-Sections Are Justified
April is Cesarean Awareness Month that aims to improve mother and child well-being by educating women about unnecessary cesareans, as well as encouraging normal vaginal birth after previous cesarean delivery.