Does Spreading Mother’s Microbes On Baby Improve Health
Danielle Vukadinovich is sitting up in a hospital bed at the Inova Women’s Hospital in Falls Church, Va., waiting to give birth.
„I feel good, I’m excited!” says Vukadinovich, 35, of Annandale, Va., „Nervous, but good!”
canada goose store Vukadinovich is getting a cesarean section today. It’s the canada goose outlet hong kong second time for her she underwent the surgical procedure 19 months ago when her twins canada goose victoria parka outlet were born. canada goose store
This time Danielle wants to try something different, something that canada-goose-outlet might sound strange. As soon as her daughter is born, a doctor will wipe fluid from Danielle’s birth canal or a sterile solution that serves as a placebo all over her baby’s body.
„I haven’t told many people about this yet,” Vukadinovich says, laughing. „I understand why canada goose jacket outlet uk people would be like, ‚Oh my gosh. That’s so weird.’ But I don’t think it’s yucky. It’s normal. It’s natural really.”
Canada Goose Online The canada goose outlet legit procedure, known as „vaginal seeding,” is designed to help babies develop healthy microbiomes the collection of friendly bacteria that inhabit every person’s body. Some canada goose outlet in chicago people call it a „bacterial baptism.” Canada Goose Online
„It’s a little bit like that baby’s first dunk,” says, the microbiome research manager at the Inova hospital. „That’s their first religious experience. You know, they get the water and that changes their spirituality.
canada goose uk outlet „In this case, they get the bacteria and that changes their microbiome,” Levy says. „This is their first microbiome experience.” canada goose uk outlet
The procedure was developed in response to the sharp rise in C section births in recent years. That increase has been accompanied by more cases of asthma, allergies, eczema, obesity, and other diseases.
The theory is that the rise canada goose outlet vancouver in these diseases might be happening, in part, because babies aren’t getting exposed to their mother’s microbes the way they would if they were passing naturally through the birth canal.
„We think that one of the reasons that babies born by C section are at increased risk for these diseases is because they don’t receive that first beneficial exposure to their mother’s vaginal microbiome,” says Suchitra Hourigan, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Inova.
One very small study indicated that swabbing C section babies with their mother’s microbes immediately after canada goose factory outlet birth could make their microbiomes develop more like those of babies born vaginally.
cheap Canada Goose But the appeal of vaginal seeding has outpaced evidence that it is safe and effective. cheap Canada Goose
Some couples have started trying vaginal seeding on their own. Vukadinovich jokes that she considered doing it herself. After all, she says, she’s a nurse and her husband is a high school biology teacher.
„I even told my mom: ‚Nobody has to know. My husband would help me out,’ ” she says, laughing. „But I try not to take unnecessary risks.”
Vukadinovich knows the procedure could be risky. Babies could be inadvertently exposed to disease causing microbes, such as herpes virus or streptococcus bacteria.
In fact, medical groups such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology warn women against doing this. „While there are data to suggest that there may be some scientific plausibility to the concept, it is not without significant risks,” says Neil Silverman, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UCLA School of Medicine, who represents ACOG. The group notes that mothers also transfer microbes to their newborns through skin to skin contact and breastfeeding.
So Vukadinovich was thrilled when she found out she could be part of the first
„Who knows what’s going to happen with the results? But if it does show something positive, I just think that would be great for kids and parents,” she says.
Hourigan, who’s helping lead the study, agrees.
In the study, half of the babies will get swabbed with their mother’s microbes; half will get swabbed with a sterile solution. All of the mothers will be carefully screened for dangerous infections.
canada goose clearance All of the babies will then be followed for three years to see if they become obese or develop other health problems. A is starting at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. canada goose clearance
Vukadinovich agreed to let an NPR reporter and photographer observe her baby’s birth and the swabbing. It’s the first time journalists have been allowed to watch a baby go through the study.
Canada Goose online Evelyn Marie is born Canada Goose online
canada goose coats As the nurses wheel Vukadinovich into the operating room, Hourigan, Levy and Dr. Varsha Deopujari follow. Deopujari, the study’s clinical manager, will do the actual swabbing. canada goose coats
Inside the OR, everyone quickly takes their places. As the canada goose outlet canada goose outlet toronto surgeon starts, Hourigan explains what’s happening. It goes very fast.
uk canada goose outlet „An incision is being made into mom, and they are getting ready to take out the baby,” Hourigan says. „They can see the head. And the head is now coming out of the C section incision. Baby’s head is out.” uk canada goose outlet
In less than a minute after the surgery starts, the baby girl is completely canada goose stockists uk out. A nurse rushes the newborn to a nearby table to clear her breathing. After the baby is breathing smoothly, Deopujari starts swabbing with a gauze pad.
Canada Goose Outlet First, she swabs the baby’s mouth, cheeks and face. After turning the gauze over to expose more bacteria, Deopujari wipes the baby’s hands and arms. Next, she wipes down her chest, goes over her abdomen, up the other arm and then over her back Canada Goose Outlet.