How C-sections Can Impact
Your Baby’s Immune System
By Dr. Lindsey Mathews, D.C.
Take Action : Swab + Suck!
You’re on the path to becoming the best new
mother ever. You’ve taken the Sacred Pregnancy
courses. You have a partner that supports your every move and loves you unconditionally. You have
a job in which you can pick your hours and work
from home. You have a car seat in both of the cars.
You have an Ergo Baby in your car, your partner’s
car, and one at home. You’ve got the co-sleeping
method dialed in. And, you have certified everything in your house as ‘Green’.
I would give you an ‘A’. However, you may have
forgotten the most important thing - building
your baby’s immune system, which is the
you can give your child against the outside world. If your child does not have a healthy
functioning immune system he or she will not
thrive.
defense
best
In your belly, your baby is in the safest place in
the world. While your little one is in your belly he
or she is receiving the protection from your immune system. Keep in mind that you have spent
many years being exposed to different microbes
and pathogens. Your immune is strong because
of your gut flora. Our gut flora is the game
changer in moderating our immunity. The human GI tract houses about 70% of the immune
system [2]. Our gut flora is like the gatekeeper, which will not allow any garbage to penetrate the boundaries. When
your gut-flora does come across garbage, it signals
the immune system to take action.
Your body knows how to fight off foreign intruders, not only protecting you but your baby as well.
Yet, when your baby is born, he or she is basically
a blank canvas as far as microbial content is concerned. The second your baby enters this world
he or she is being exposed to microbes, good and
bad, trying to seek refuge in a new host, your
infant.
Vaginal birth and cesarean birth have
a significant impact on the gut flora
of the newborn. Once bacteria hits the gut, it
immediately establishes a home. When a baby is
born vaginally, he or she receives the first dose
of microbes via the mother’s vaginal canal and
surrounding tissues. Babies born vaginally have
mostly Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus, which come from the
mother’s vaginal and fecal flora. There is a difference in the colonization of bacteria in a vaginal
birth compared to the increasingly prevalent
cesarean births. Babies born via cesarean section
exhibit Clostridium and Streptococcus in their gut
flora. However, these come from the shiny
tools. Which is NOT what you want!
Bifidobacterium is needed specifically to aid in
digestion of the breast milk and displays an immunomodulatory effect on intestinal immune
cells. Lactobacillus also plays a role in digestion
but also stimulate the immune system. Lactobacillus plays a role in digestion, stimulates the immune system and inhibits growth of pathogenic
bacteria by keeping the pH low and regulating its
own enzymatic activity. Escherichia coli is known
to produce crucial vitamin complexes [1].
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