C-Section Birth and the Infant Gut Microbiota: Nutritional Strategies

Healthy development of the gut microbiota after birth, as seen in breastfed and vaginally born infants, contributes to healthy growth and immediate and long-term health. However, birth by caesarean section, along with other external factors including antibiotic use, is a major disruptor of early gut microbiota development. Gut microbiota dysbiosis can in turn have a negative impact on the health of the infant. Early nutritional interventions for non-breastfed infants born by C-section offer a great potential for balancing the disrupted microbiome in early life.