Children born by Caesarean section have a “less efficient” microbiota than those born vaginally. To help them boost their immunity, Finnish researchers have found a solution based on feces.
A strange solution to say the least. A Finnish study found a solution to help babies born by cesarean section. Indeed, these children would have an intestinal microbiota "less efficient" than children born vaginally. To help them, these researchers suggest putting a small amount of their mother's diluted feces in breast milk, right after birth.
And for good reason, according to scientists, infants born by cesarean section are at increased risk of developing asthma and allergies, because they were not exposed to the vaginal lining of their mother at the time of delivery. This mucous membrane which collects numerous and harmless bacteria would help develop their immunity. Thus, in this study published in the journal Cell, scientists indicate that the “Proof of concept procedure” was fairly safe and after three months the newborns' microbiota looked much more like those born vaginally.
Experimentation under surveillance
For this experiment, seven mothers were recruited through leaflets placed in doctors' waiting rooms. The fecal samples were taken three weeks before the babies were born, then the newborns were given the oral fecal microbiota transplants into breast milk shortly after birth. In order for the immune system to strengthen, the microbiota must mature through microbial exposure after the baby is born. “Clinically, this transfer of microbial material occurs during a vaginal birth. This is a gift the mother gives to her baby ", said Sture Andersson, co-lead author of the study and researcher at the Pediatric Researc Center at the University of Helsinki.
After that, the babies stayed in the hospital for two days to make sure there were no complications. The infants then underwent blood tests. To see the strengthening of the microbiota, she was tested one week, two weeks, three weeks and three months apart. “It’s very important to tell people that it’s not something they should try at home ”, says Willem de Vos, co-lead author of the study. “Samples should be tested for safety and suitability”, he concludes.
So far, this experiment has only been carried out abroad.