Regarding childbirth, there are many ways that the microbiota of both the child and the mother can be affected, both positively and negatively. This post will be focused primarily on the effects on the child post childbirth.
One was that the microbiota of the infant could be affected is through the mothers use of antibiotics. It has been shown that the use of antibiotics decreases the diversity of healthy microbes in individuals. This could harbor some sort of negative effect on the child, as the when the child is exposed to the mothers microbiota upon birth, there is lower diversity than there should be. This leads to the infant not being exposed to the full breadth of microbes upon birth, and could lead to weaker immune system or less diversity in the child’s microbiota.
Another factor that could influence the microbiota of the infant is the setting in which the infant is born. If it is a home birth, strict measures must be taken to ensure that no harmful microbes are present that could hurt the child. In a hospital setting, precautions must be taken to ensure that no nosocomial pathogens afflict the child. This is especially important if the child is expected to stay in the hospital for an extended period after the birth.
A third potential factor that could affect the microbiota of the child is the food introduced to the child post birth. If breastfeeding, the child will be exposed to all microbes in the mothers milk and all those harbored on her skin. This is generally a positive thing, as these microbes good for the diversity of the microbiota of the child. This also sets the stage for the microbiota of the child’s gut.
There are countless other microbial factors that could positively or negatively impact the child, just are there are countless factors that can affect us.
