‘Scientists started wondering if they could improve health outcomes for babies delivered by C-section by restoring their microbiome to one resembling a baby’s that has been “seeded” with their mother’s vaginal microbiota.’
What would we do without our mums? They give us love, time and energy – but their first gift to us is during childbirth, when we exit the sterile environment of the womb and they give us a smorgasbord of their microbes on our way out through the birth canal. Through this “vaginal baptism” we receive a starter kit of health-boosting goodies that colonises our gastrointestinal tract and helps protect us from harmful diseases as we embark on our journey into life on the outside. Essentially, our mothers give us everything we need to create our own microbiome.
Your body is a (microbial) wonderland
Our bodies are host to a thriving ecosystem of approximately 100 trillion micro-organisms, known collectively as the microbiome. In fact, the number of microbes inside our bodies is almost equivalent to the number of human cells. Members of this diverse community include bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and archaea. They help us fight infection, develop our immune system, produce vitamins, regulate bodily functions and they influence our behaviour, including our appetite. They reside in different parts of our
