| *Background/Question/Methods*
The birth of a child may include routine use of antibiotics or a delivery by cesarean section. We applaud these medical advances for their direct benefits. However, birthing practices have been shown to disrupt the colonization of the microbial gut in newborns, which may have long term consequences on the development of a child’s immune system resulting in atopies (i.e., asthma, allergies, and eczema). Animal models and other research have been used to demonstrate that not only the presence, but also the community composition of the gut microbiota, is essential for normal immune development. Furthermore, it has been established that there are differences in the intestinal microbiota of children... |
