Reuters released an article online today discussing the findings of a recent study which seemed to suggest that babies born in a hospital, and especially by cesarean, may harbor a bacteria in their gut which may lead to a higher incidence of asthma and allergies later on in life. According to the article, babies born vaginally are first exposed to bacteria in their mother’s birth canal while cesarean born babies first encounter bacteria on the skin of the doctors and nurses, and this initial exposure may have an effect on the likelihood of developing allergies or asthma later on in life.
To read the full text of the Reuters article, click here.
For a link to an abstract of the study, which is also available for purchase, click here.