Pediatr. praxi. 2022;23(2):156-162 | DOI: 10.36290/ped.2022.036

Influence of caesarean section on intestinal microbiota newborn from the perspective of a neonatologist

MUDr. Jana Nikolinyová, PhD.

Neonatologická klinika SZU, Fakultná nemocnica s poliklinikou Banská Bystrica

SC Sectio Caesarea (SC) is one of the oldest surgical interventions, the roots of which go deep into human history. In the last decades, the worrying increase in the number of caesareans, as well as the adverse effects of SC on lifelong health have resonated more and more in professional circles. According to the WHO, at present every fifth birth is terminated by the SC. What is most worrying is the finding, that the number of elective cesarean sections at the request of the mother is rising worldwide, despite the negative medical indication (1). The neonatal period begins with childbirth and ends with the newborn's adaptation to the newly changed conditions. During this period, the newborn undergoes complex adaptation changes and processes and balances with possible disorders of the birth process. It is a crucial period in terms of the possibility of obtaining a healthy microbiome and the initial physiological intestinal microbiota. The healthy development of a neonatal microbiome can be interrupted by various external influences. One of the most important factors is the method of delivery. During the birth of SC, the contact of the newborn with the maternal microorganisms is eliminated, which prevents the vertical transmission of the microorganisms. Newborns born by SC are colonized mainly by bacteria from the surrounding hospital environment, including potentially pathogenic microorganisms (2). The altered composition of the intestinal microbiota after the SC can have an adverse effect on the development of the immune system (IS), as well as on the overall health of the child, with a predisposition to frequent infections, and to the development of various immunopathological diseases.

Keywords: caesarean section, newborn, intestinal microbiota.

Published: April 12, 2022  Show citation