Caesarean section causes the baby to have a different bacterial flora than in natural delivery, which may affect its further development, according to Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The research was carried out by scientists from the University of Puerto Rico in collaboration with the University of Colorado in Boulder and two Venezuelan institutes. They found that normally born babies had the same bacteria as their mothers’ vaginas, while caesarean section showed bacteria typical of the surface of the skin – possibly from the first person to pick up the baby. According to specialists, bacteria in the organisms of different people can protect them against various diseases, affect digestion and immunity. The bacteria acquired during childbirth would be something like a vaccine.
Staphylococcus bacteria (staphylococci) predominated in children born through caesarean section. Most of them are harmless, but some can cause serious infections. Perhaps the bacterial flora is associated with more frequent allergies or asthma in children born thanks to caesarean section. The World Health Organization recommends that no more than 15 percent of deliveries be by Caesarean section, but in the United States the proportion is 30 percent, and in China as much as 50 percent (PAP).