Scientists gave the baby a caesarean section the mother’s droppings to see if it boosted important bacteria

Babies born by Caesarean section may miss useful bacteria that other newborns get from their mother’s birth canal. Now, scientists have shown in a small study that feeding cesarean babies with mother’s feces mixed with breast milk can raise friendly bacteria to the same level as vaginal-born bacteria. ..

But experts warned parents about trying to approach at home, as in a study published in the journal. cell It was done in a safe way.

In past studies, Microbiota (Alternatively, the bacteria that live in the body of a baby born by caesarean section are different from those of a baby born transvaginally. Evidence suggests that such infants may be at increased risk of having short-term and long-term health problems such as type 1 diabetes. Controversial Wipe the newborn’s face with the mother’s vaginal fluid It has emerged as an unproven tendency to fight this.

To reproduce how the baby’s intestines are usually colonized by microorganisms from the mother’s intestines during vaginal delivery, cell The researchers recruited seven pregnant mothers for a Caesarean section.They agreed to have what is known as feces Microbiota Transplant (FMT), Bacteria from her stool will be transferred to her baby.

The mother donated feces three weeks before giving birth, allowing the team to screen for harmful bacteria. All women gave birth in 37 weeks and were breastfed for at least two months.

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Each baby was given a sample of the mother’s stool and some of the first breast milk ever given. They were monitored in the hospital for 2 days. It turned out that everything was healthy and developed normally after 3 months.

Team compared Microbiota Percentage of up to 82 infants under study who were born transvaginally or by caesarean section without treatment.They found Microbiota Of a given baby FMT It was more like a baby born transvaginally than a baby born by untreated Caesarean section. According to the author, this approach seemed to correct the lack of certain types of bacteria found in cesarean babies.

“Follow-up monitoring [of the babies] If desired, the results presented are clearly promising, “the authors write. Transferring these bacteria from mother to baby “can have widespread implications for the long-term health of these babies.”

Dr. Allison CahillObstetrics, chairman of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Clinical Consensus Committee, said he was not working on the study. Newsweek There is some evidence that lack of contact with vaginal microbes may increase the risk of asthma, allergies, and immune disorders in children, but proving that this is the cause is an intervention. Is a complex but important process before it is applied, especially the potential intervention risk. “

Cahill Wiping the baby’s mouth, nose, and skin with vaginal fluid or including feces in the baby’s milk after birth can unknowingly transmit disease-causing bacteria and viruses, which is recommended. There is not enough data for. time.

“Instead, new moms can breastfeed for the first six months and offer the same benefits to their babies,” she said.

Dr. Aubrey Cunnington,researcher Pediatrics Infectious diseases at Imperial College London in the UK also said they were not working on the paper. Newsweek The study seemed “very novel and interesting,” but said readers should not try this approach at home.

Graham Luke, Professor Emeritus of Medical Microbiology UCL I wasn’t involved in research in the UK Newsweek This study is a “good practice” and a much larger study is needed to clearly prove that this technology is safe and very beneficial to the long-term health of the individual.