And after a vaccine, would the immunity cells wake up differently depending on whether the baby was born vaginally or by cesarean section? The answer is yes according to researchers who recently studied the link between the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the level of antibodies after the vaccination of 120 babies, all immunized at 8 and 12 weeks against meningitis and pulmonary infections. The microbiota of the little ones was precisely studied during their first year, and the immune response analyzed by saliva tests at the age of 12 and 18 months.
As a result, the antibody level of babies born vaginally was doubled compared to those born by caesarean section, as part of vaccination against pulmonary infections. Regarding vaccination against meningitis, babies born vaginally had 1.7 times more antibodies compared to babies born by caesarean section.
Bringing up the subject of vaccination
“We thought we would discover a link between the composition of the microbiota and the immune response of the young after vaccination”, describes Professor Emma de Koff, main author of the study. “But we didn’t think these effects would be reported in the very first months of a child’s life. »
According to the scientists, this discovery should be able to encourage doctors to approach the subject of vaccination more rigorously with women and couples in order to protect children born by caesarean section as much as possible and remind them of the solutions for overcoming an immune deficiency: breastfeeding. and the prescription of probiotics. Or the technique of vaginal seeding (transfer of vaginal microbiota) consisting of inserting a gauze pad into the mother’s vagina for one hour after childbirth, so that it becomes impregnated with the population of maternal bacteria, to then apply it on the body of the little one. An approach that can be anticipated with caregivers before birth in the event of a scheduled caesarean section.
* University of Edinburgh, Spaarne Hospital and University Medical Centre in Utrecht and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in The Netherlands
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