Applying vaginal fluid to C-section babies boosts neurodevelopment: study

A new study, published recently in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, finds that applying the mother's vaginal fluids on C-section babies after birth successfully restores this microbial balance, and has neurodevelopment benefits, too.

 C-section rates have the risen globally, now accounting for around one in every three births in the United States, though the World Health Organization estimates only 10-15 percent are medically necessary.

Past research has shown infants born by C-section have vastly different gut bacteria composition compared to those born vaginally. The latter receive their early gut bacteria from their mother's birth canal, while C-section babies receive theirs mainly from their mothers' skin, breastmilk, and the environment.

The study used rigorous methods but was small, involving just 68 infants, the findings are confirmed in bigger clinical trials, and it could offer a low-cost way to allow C-section newborns to start life on the same footing as vaginally delivered infants.

The team also looked at the babies' neurodevelopment at three months and six months using a standard questionnaire to ask their mothers about milestones, such as whether the babies were able to make simple sounds or had begun rolling or getting in the crawl position. 

'Vaginal seeding' - In the new study, Clemente, an expert on the role of the microbiome in human health, collaborated with colleagues at the Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China to test out a technique known as "vaginal seeding," or smearing newborns with vaginal fluid.

The infants who received the vaginal seeding scored significantly higher at both three and six months. "We think this is partially because of how microbes are producing certain chemical compounds that might impact brain function," said Clemente, an expanding field of study that is backed by animal research. 

Reference: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/applying-vaginal-fluid-to-c-section-babies-boosts-neurodevelopment-study/101039500