Babies who were delivered via C-section were found to have a higher risk of developing allergies and asthma as compared to babies born vaginally. To give these babies a boost in their immune system, a new study suggested giving a little amount of the mother's faeces mixed in breast milk to them.

A study entitled, "Maternal Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Cesarean-Born Infants Rapidly Restores Normal Gut Microbial Development: A Proof-of-Concept Study," published in the journal Cell, showed that babies born via cesarean section do not receive the same rich blend of microbes that babies born vaginally do. These microbes are essential in preventing the onset of asthma and allergies in newborns. To combat this, the study suggested that taking in a very small amount of mother's faeces could help normalise the gut microbiome of the babies, giving them a good headstart when it comes to their immune system.

The researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland recruited 17 mothers who were slated to undergo a cesarean operation. Three weeks before their scheduled deliveries, their fecal samples were taken and scanned to identify any pathogen, such as the herpes virus and the B Streptococcus. Out of the 17, there were seven who had pathogen-free samples.

After the seven mothers gave birth, researchers mixed between 3.5 to seven milligrams of diluted mom's faeces into five milliliters of breast milk. The milk was then fed to the babies.

After the babies were fed with mixed breast milk, their gut microbiome was analysed by the researchers. They monitored the very first bowel movement of the babies and continued taking samples for more than 12 weeks. They then compared these babies with the microbiomes of 29 babies born vaginally, and also with babies who were born through C-section yet who did not receive the fecal transplants.

The researchers found that in just a matter of three weeks, the microbiota of C-section newborns who received the fecal transplants quickly evolved and resembled those of babies born vaginally. The researchers noted that this evolvement normally takes a full year, but the fecal transplant shortened it to three weeks.

The researchers also saw that the treated infants had abundant bacteroidales in days. They showed lower levels of pathogenic bacteria against C-section babies who did not receive the fecal transplants. The treated babies also showed no adverse side effects within the study period.

C-section Babies C-section Babies
C-section babies can benefit from eating mom's poop. Photo: Pixabay

Willem de Vos, one of the study authors from the University of Helsinki's Human Microbiome Research Program said that the process must not be done at home as the samples need to be tested for suitability and safety. He also noted that future studies will look into the development of the immune system of C-section babies who received fecal transplants versus those who did not.