Journey of the Gut Microbiome
When we think about how our gut ecosystems develop, it can be useful to imagine a remote island in the middle of the ocean. Just like this island, our gut microbiome starts off empty and gradually becomes populated with different species of bacteria. “Your microbiome goes on a journey,” says Alan Walker, a researcher at the University of Aberdeen, UK. Initially, some bugs enter the gut when we are born, and as we start eating solid foods, other bugs replace them. This dynamic process continues until mid-to-late childhood, after which our gut microbiome becomes more stable throughout adult life.
The Impact of C-sections on the Microbiome
There has been a concern that the way a baby is born may have an impact on their gut microbiome. The idea is based on the concept of the founder effect, where the initial colonizers of an ecosystem can have long-lasting influences. It was thought that babies born via C-section, which bypasses the natural birth canal, may have a different set of gut bacteria compared to those born vaginally. This belief has led some parents to take drastic measures to restore their children’s microbiomes. However, the scientific evidence supporting these ideas is still inconclusive.
One of the early researchers in this field, Maria Gloria Domínguez-Bello at Rutgers University, documented the differences between the gut bacteria of babies born by C-section and those born vaginally. Her team found that…
