Newborn C-Section Babies receive a Vaginal Rub-Down

Post date: Feb 7, 2016 3:16:31 PM

A baby born naturally (i.e. vaginally) is exposed to the bacteria of the mother's birth canal and these microbes have been shown to seed the baby's own microbiome (the community of microscopic organisms living within the [human] body). The microbiome plays a critical role in metabolism and immunity and this is why naturally-born babies are thought to have an advantage over C-section babies. For this reasons, a clinical trial has been set up where sterile gauze is placed in the mother's vagina prior to the C-section and then the gauze is literally rubbed all over the newborn's body. The idea is that this rub-down will shift the baby's microbiome to a more "normal" state.

This image originally appeared in the Hartford Courant.

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