What is the microbiome? Part 2 | C-section
After doing my own research It is shocking to me that the microbiome is not a primary focus when deciding to make a decision between having a planned C- section. This brings forth the question; Would mothers choose to have a planned C-Section over a vaginal birth if they knew the risks of developing long-term health effects, which is a direct cause of dysbiosis of the microbiome?
*Dysbiosis is characterized by a disruption to the microbiome resulting in an imbalance in the microbiota, changes in their functional composition and metabolic activities, or a shift in their local distribution.
The following issues have been linked to an imbalance in gut bacteria, Obesity, Autism, Asthma, Allergies, Colitis, IBS, MS, Depression, and Mental health to name a few.
Why is this causing these illnesses?
I have understood that it is down to the microbial patterns changing between the two methods of birth, because the natural microbes/bacteria that the baby is exposed to via the birth canal are not present. The only microbes that the baby is initially exposed to first are Doctor's microbes and the hospital's
surroundings, plus the impact of having antibiotics beforehand also shows the microbial patterns are disturbed. The impact of having antibiotics is significant to the microbiome and research has shown that women who had a vaginal birth, and had antibiotics mirrored the microbial pattern as a baby who had a C-section. So we can only imagine the detrimental impact this is having on the best starter kit for the microbiome by creating a good gut diversity with the many species that will enable a healthy microbiome to develop. Now I am not dismissing C-sections, as there are times when this is needed eg: Emergency C-section, however, I ask the same question as above, would mothers consciously choose this method of birthing if they knew the risks?
Babies that are born vaginally will have the best start in life due to being exposed to the microbes within the birth canal, they sit within the canal and get fully immersed in the good bacteria, therefore, this process is vital to the development of the baby, followed by skin to skin and breastfeeding.
It's imperative to reiterate to the mothers that if they choose a C-section doing skin-to-skin straight away and breastfeeding is going to be vital to help get the first initial microbes set. If they choose to bottle feed it's important to give them the information about what this could mean at a later stage in life as their gut microbiome will be hugely compromised as the initial cultivation that makes a healthy, diverse microbiome will be obsolete due to not getting the initial exposure to the vital microbes within the birth canal at outset.
