Triple-blind randomized controlled trial shows that maternal vaginal microbiota seeding has positive effects. Credit:Transferring the mother's vaginal bacteria onto newborns delivered via cesarean section appears to be beneficial to infants' early development, researchers reported June 15 in the journal. The study, the first triple-blind experiment of its kind, suggests a potential approach to improve the early gut microbiota of babies born through C-section.
"When we talk about effectiveness, we not only mean whether this intervention might affect the infants' microbiota but are also interested to see if this intervention could actually improve the infants' phenotypes, like their neurodevelopment." The team found that newborns who received the microbiota had more gut bacteria found in maternal vaginal fluid 6 weeks after birth, suggesting that maternal vaginal bacteria successfully reached and colonized babies' guts. Compared with C-section newborns who received saline gauze, babies with microbial transfer had more mature bacteria in their guts at 6 weeks old, similar to babies born vaginally. No infants experienced severe adverse events during the experiment.