Caesarean section (invented to save lives) is increasingly becoming simply an option. In Poland , 43% of children are born this way and it is one of the highest rates in Europe . WHO recommends reducing the number of unjustified cuts so that surgeries constitute 10-15% of all deliveries (and this is the case, for example, in Iceland or Norway) 1 . Of course, this is not about endangering the lives and health of women who have been ordered to have a cut for medical reasons. It is important to educate pregnant women who want to give up natural childbirth because it seems too complicated for them. When deciding on the method of birth, it is worth carefully considering its consequences. There is only one start in life , but it affects a person's entire adult life. In this respect, natural childbirth provides the child with many more health benefits . This is the case when it's really worth the effort.
If such a decision was made not by the doctor but by the mother, then, according to research 2 , it is most often dictated by:
Natural childbirth depends on the woman's psychological condition. Therefore, the atmosphere in the hospital and the conditions provided (or not) to a pregnant woman are also important . According to the Supreme Audit Office's report, at least half of Polish maternity wards do not meet the necessary requirements. The organization of rooms in some hospitals does not guarantee a woman giving birth the right to privacy and dignity 3 . It's no wonder that Polish women are afraid to give birth naturally there. They want to shorten the delivery time (it is actually shorter with a cesarean section) and have more control (in theory) over the entire process.
A planned cesarean section can create the false impression that everything is under control. You can take care of the necessary matters before a specific date and not be tormented by the question: "When will I finally give birth?" However, under normal conditions, the baby itself begins the birth process - only when it is ready . Scientists believe that when a baby's respiratory system is mature enough, its body secretes a substance that triggers the process of contraction of the uterus 4 . By choosing a "nice date on the calendar" from above, we do not know whether the fetus has developed sufficiently and whether its lungs are ready to breathe oxygen. In this case, a few days can really make a difference.
During a natural birth, fluid is also squeezed out of the baby's lungs so that the baby can breathe normally. Babies born by cesarean section do not undergo this process and may have breathing problems or extra fluid in the lungs after birth 5 .
The composition of intestinal microorganisms in children after a cesarean section is completely different than those after a natural birth. Therefore, scientists are able to determine with 100% certainty how the baby was born based on the baby's stool in the first days of life . A study of 596 babies born in UK hospitals found that 80% of newborns born by surgery had bacteria from the hospital environment (pathogenic) in their intestines. They constituted 30% of all microorganisms. At the same time, potentially dangerous strains of bacteria were present in only half of the babies born vaginally and accounted for no more than 10% of the total number of bacteria 6 . In addition, babies born by cesarean section lacked bacterial strains typically found in healthy people . In babies after natural birth, these "good bacteria" constituted the majority.
To compensate for this difference, scientists invented the "baby seeding" method. It involves lubricating a newborn born by cesarean section with the mother's vaginal secretion. However, in practice it turned out to be not very effective 7 . It is also not on the recommendation list of any medical organization. This is because it carries some danger. In the mother's vagina, in addition to "good" bacteria, there may also be pathogenic ones. If you lubricate your child's body with this secretion, they may become infected with, for example, streptococcus. There is another reason. Scientists suspect that the set of bacteria that a newborn receives from its mother comes more from the anus area than from the vagina itself 8 .
Therefore, there is no way to prevent drastic differences in the microbiome of newborns. And although these differences blur with age, the moment of birth and the colonization of the intestines with microorganisms are of key importance. At this point, the child's immunity and metabolism are programmed 9 . You can learn more about the human microbiome in this article.
The method of birth may increase the risk of infection during the first year of life if the baby was delivered by surgery 10 . But not exclusively. Scientists have proven that babies born by cesarean section also have a much higher risk of asthma, systemic connective tissue disorders, juvenile arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and even leukemia 11 . In the case of colds, the likely cause is a lack of the right types of bacteria in the intestines of newborns. However, in the case of chronic diseases, the mechanism of their development in children who have not passed through the reproductive tract naturally is not fully known.
There is also scientific evidence that the brain of babies after a cesarean section processes stimuli from the sense organs worse. In other words, they may have problems with smell, touch and vision. These thoughts underlie advanced psychological processes that are of great importance for human development 12 . Researchers observed that newborns born naturally were able to distinguish odors and choose those that were familiar to them just a few days after birth. However, children after cesarean section did not have this ability 13 . They were also less willing to hug and even felt stressed during physical contact with their mother 14 .
During childbirth, a pregnant woman's body releases hormones, the symphony of which is crucial for the health of the mother and the newborn. These hormones are oxytocin, endorphin, catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline), and prolactin . These compounds help naturally induce uterine contractions, but also act as an analgesic during them. They mobilize, give strength and drive labor and support lactation. Secreted in the mother's body, they also affect the baby. They ensure that he has enough oxygen during birth, that his heart and brain receive enough blood, and that they regulate the newborn's body temperature and glucose levels in his body 15 . These hormones are not released during a planned cesarean section. Neither the mother nor her offspring have a chance to benefit from their benefits.
If you want to further deepen your knowledge about the mechanisms that govern natural childbirth and the dangers of the "epidemic of cesarean sections on request", we recommend Michel Odent's books. He is one of the world's most famous obstetricians, scientists and publicists. Check out his post "Cesarean section and natural childbirth. Doubts, Consequences, Challenges” and “Birth Reborn.”
Bibliography: "Government program for comprehensive reproductive health care in Poland for 2021-2023", Ministry of Health, 2021. Suwanrath C., Chunuan S., Matemanosak P. et al., “Why do pregnant women prefer cesarean birth? A qualitative study in a tertiary care center in Southern Thailand. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, January 6, 2021 “NIK on the care of patients in the event of miscarriages and stillbirths”, Supreme Audit Office, nik.gov.pl, February 9, 2021. Condon JC, Jeyasuria P., Faust JM, Mendelson CR, “Surfactant protein secreted by the maturing mouse fetal lung acts as a hormone that signals the initiation of parturition.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2004. “C-Section vs. Natural Birth: What Expectant Moms Need to Know”, clevelandclinic.org, November 4, 2021 Shao Y., Forster SC, Tsaliki E., Vervier K., Strang A., Simpson N., Kumar N., Stares MD, Rodger A., Brocklehurst P., Field N., Lawley TD, “Stunted microbiota and opportunistic pathogen colonization in caesarean-section birth. Nature. 2019 “Does exposing cesarean-delivered newborns to the vaginal microbiome restore microbiome development? More clinical trials are needed before conclusions can be made.”Gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com, August 16, 2021 Hamzelou J., “C-section babies have a different microbiome - but not for long.” Newscientist.com, September 18, 2019 Gyungcheon K., Jaewoong B., Jin K. M. et al., “Delayed Establishment of Gut Microbiota in Infants Delivered by Cesarean Section,” Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020. Reyman M., van Houten MA, van Baarle D. et al., “Impact of delivery mode-associated gut microbiota dynamics on health in the first year of life.” Nat Commun. 2019 Sevelsted A.,Stokholm J.,Bønnelykke K, Bisgaard H., “Cesarean Section and Chronic Immune Disorders”, Pediatrics 2015. Chen H., Tan D., “Cesarean Section or Natural Childbirth? “Cesarean Birth May Damage Your Health,” Front. Psychol., February 21, 2019 Varendi H., Porter RH, Winberg J., “The effect of labor on olfactory exposure learning within the first postnatal hour.” Behav Neurosci. 2002 Mao XL, Jing, J., “The influence of cesarean section on children's cognitive characteristics.” J. Bethune Milit. Med. College 3, 2005, pp. 231–232. Buckley S., “Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing: Evidence and Implications for Women, Babies, and Maternity Care,” Childbirth Connection A Program of the National Partnership for Women & Families, January 2015.
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Napisała: Hanna Borowska
Editor, journalist, science writer, certified nutrition consultant. Motherhood made her interest in health issues change the direction of her professional path. She has completed several trainings and courses in Poland and abroad in the field of dietetics, functional medicine and aromatherapy. She is passionate about the unexplored power of the human microbiome. She graduated with honors from the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science at the University of Warsaw. For many years associated with Euroradio.fm.
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