Background: Cesarean sections (CS) are among the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the world. Epidemiologic data has associated delivery by CS with an increased risk of certain adverse health outcomes in children, such as asthma and obesity.
Objective: To explore what is known about the effect of mode of delivery on the development of the infant microbiome and discuss the potentially mediating role of CS-related microbial dysbiosis in the development of adverse pediatric health outcomes. Recommendations for future inquiry are also provided.
Methods: This study provides a narrative overview of the literature synthesizing the findings of literature retrieved from searches of PubMed and other computerized databases and authoritative texts.
Results: Emerging evidence suggests that mode of delivery is involved in the development of the neonatal microbiome and may partially explain pediatric health outcomes associated with birth by CS. Specifically, the gut microbiome of vaginally delivered infants more closely resembles their mothers' vaginal microbiome and thus more commonly consists of potentially beneficial microbiota such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides. Conversely, the microbiome of infants born via CS shows an increased prevalence of either skin flora or potentially pathogenic microbial communities such as Klebsiella, Enterococcus, and Clostridium.
Conclusions: Mode of delivery plays an important role in the development of the postnatal microbiome but likely tells only part of the story. More comprehensive investigations into all the pre- and perinatal factors that have the potential to contribute to the neonatal microbiome are warranted.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6532636 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000487102 | DOI Listing |
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