An recent study conducted by Professor Patricia Conway of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of New South Wales, said babies born naturally received protective bacteria as they passed through mother’s birth canal during delivery.
Numerous studies before this one have proven this fact. The study reinforces the importance of good practice of waiting for labor to begin and progress on its own without external intervention when both mother and baby are healthy.
One of the most frequent causes of infections in newborns is bugs in hospitals where they are born. If babies are allowed to be born naturally, as they pass through their mother’s birth canal, the good bacteria lining the walls of the birth canal are transfered to babies’ skin. From there the bacteria colonize the intestine and inoculate babies against hospital bugs. This “Gut Flora”, the study says, is essential for development of baby’s immune system.
Whether mother ultimately gives birth naturally or not, it is essential that in order for babies to get the benefit of this good bacteria, mother should be allowed a full trial of labor, especially after the bag of waters has broken. Sadly most Indian hospitals fail in this respect.
Other ways for the good bacteria to be absorbed by babies are if mother and baby are allowed “skin-to-skin” contact after birth and very importantly, when babies are breastfed.
The study also quotes a European study done in 2008 which reviewed 20 previous studies for a relationship between cesarean and diabetes, and found that babies who were born surgically without mothers undergoing a trial of labor were 20% more prone to develop Type 1 diabetes in their later years.
This is yet another scientific study that reinforces the power of laboring without interventions and giving birth naturally. Here is the link to the article that describes the study.
All our mothers at Healthy Mother understand this power and are given full chance to labor on their own without any time pressure.
