Rubbing vaginal fluid on C-section babies boosts development: study
Washington (AFP) - Babies born by cesarean section don't acquire the same healthy bacteria as those delivered vaginally, a setback to the development of their immune system thought to increase their risk of certain diseases later in life. But a new study, published Thursday in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, finds that exposing C-section babies to their mother's vaginal fluids after birth successfully restores this microbial balance, and has neurodevelopment benefits, too. The study used rigorous methods but was small, involving just 68 infants. Coauthor Jose Clemente of the Icahn School of ...