New research is out today from the laboratory of Dr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello demonstrating that at least part of mom’s vaginal microbiome can be transmitted to her c-section delivered infant. Infants born via c-section are at increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases such as asthma, diabetes, immune system disorders, and obesity. C-section babies frequently have a microbiome that is more similar to skin bacteria than mom’s vagina or GI tract. Swabbing a baby at birth with mom’s vaginal fluids is a potentially low cost, easy way to mimic one aspect of vaginal birth and transmit potentially beneficial microbes. Parents considering this procedure should check for the presence of pathogens such as Group B Strep and viral pathogens. Any such procedure should be discussed with your medical care team. For the full post – go to the post at Science and Sensibility’s website. Vaginal Seeding Procedure Illustration by Cara Gibson, Phd