Everything you need to know about vaginal seeding

A baby born through natural childbirth receives a lot of bacteria through the birth canal that are important for building up its immune system. Babies born by caesarean section are said to have a higher chance of developing allergies, asthma, hay fever and diseases. Is vaginal seeding or microbirthing the solution?

What is vaginal seeding?

With vaginal seeding, the gynaecologist takes a swab from the birth canal and applies it to the baby's eyes and mouth. This way, the baby still comes into contact with the mother's vaginal microbiome. A baby's skin is porous and therefore absorbs the vaginal flora, which is said to benefit the baby's intestinal flora and therefore also the immune system.

Is vaginal seeding dangerous?

Although there are of course also proponents, most doctors are not immediately fans of the idea. According to British doctors, such a treatment is even dangerous, because bacteria and viruses can be transmitted more easily to a newborn baby. They wrote this in the renowned British Medical Journal. Moreover, babies born via caesarean section are even more vulnerable and already have lower resistance. It mainly concerns diseases that you as a mother may not know you have, such as herpes, chlamydia or streptococci. A study conducted by the University of Western Australia also shows that vaginal seeding does not help. “Although we know that a caesarean section affects the intestinal flora of the child, it is very unlikely that these differences are caused by a lack of exposure to vaginal microbes at birth,” says researcher Lisa Stinson.

Are there other ways to build up your baby's resistance?

Breastfeeding gives your child the best start, all doctors and researchers agree on that. In addition, it is important to avoid antibiotics as much as possible.

Also read: Do you get sagging breasts from breastfeeding?

Also read: Breastfeeding: Does a (planned) caesarean section affect your milk production?

Sources:
https://theconversation.com
https://www.darmgezondheid.nl
https://www.medzineapp.com
https://www.sciencealert.com
https://www.aappublications.org