Bacterial Baptism: Scientific, Medical, and Regulatory Issues Raised by Vaginal Seeding of C-Section-Born Babies

Several lines of evidence suggest that children born via Cesarean section (C-section) are at greater risk for adverse health outcomes including allergies, asthma and obesity. Vaginal seeding is a medical procedure in which infants born by C-section are swabbed immediately after birth with vaginal se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of law, medicine & ethics medicine & ethics, 2019-12, Vol.47 (4), p.568-578
Main Authors: Mueller, Noel T., Hourigan, Suchitra K., Hoffmann, Diane E., Levy, Lauren, von Rosenvinge, Erik C., Chou, Betty, Dominguez-Bello, Maria-Gloria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asthma
Babies
Body Fluids - microbiology
Cesarean Section
Clinical trials
Clinical Trials as Topic - ethics
Clinical Trials as Topic - legislation & jurisprudence
Disease
Female
Hepatitis
Humans
Hypotheses
Immune system
Infant, Newborn
Infants
Infections
Maternal and infant welfare
Microbiota
Mothers
Newborn babies
Obesity
Skin
Skin Absorption
United States
United States Food and Drug Administration - legislation & jurisprudence
Vagina
Vagina - microbiology
Womens health
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Summary:Several lines of evidence suggest that children born via Cesarean section (C-section) are at greater risk for adverse health outcomes including allergies, asthma and obesity. Vaginal seeding is a medical procedure in which infants born by C-section are swabbed immediately after birth with vaginal secretions from the mother. This procedure has been proposed as a way to transfer the mother's vaginal microbiome to the child, thereby restoring the natural exposure that occurs during vaginal birth that is interrupted in the case of babies born via C-section. Preliminary evidence indicates partial restoration of microbes. However, there is insufficient evidence to determine the health benefits of the procedure. Several studies, including trial, are currently underway. At the same time, in the clinic setting, doctors are increasingly being asked to by expectant mothers to have their babies seeded. This article reports on the current research on this procedure and the issues it raises for regulators, researchers, physicians, and patients.
ISSN:1073-1105
1748-720X
DOI:10.1177/1073110519897732