Antibiotics & Vaginal Seeding for a C-section
“Antibiotic resistance is now one of the greatest threats to human health. If we fail to act, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine.”
David Cameron, former UK Prime Minister.
Do you need Antibiotics?
How to have powerful gut flora.
Penicillin was first discovered in 1928 and is now the most widely used antibiotic in the world.
Alexandra Fleming founded the antibiotic when he was experimenting with influenza. Since then, thousands of antibiotics have been developed from naturally derived ingredients, and artificially synthesised in labs.
The antibiotic discovery was highly praised and still is today, amongst society and health care professionals. However, as antibiotics are increasingly used as a preventative method, they oppose serious scrutiny as recent studies have proven numerous side effects.
What are some reasons for mum to receive PREVENTATIVE antibiotics in labour?
NOTE: Antibiotics cross the placenta to your baby!
Prolonged rupture of membranes
High temp in labour
If you have a c-section (often without you knowing)
What are some reasons for bub to receive PREVENTATIVE antibiotics after birth?
If mum has a temp in labour
If there is a Prolonged rupture of membrane
If baby has a temp after birth
If baby has a high resp rate after birth
In the maternity setting, antibiotics can be prescribed as a prophylactic treatment, when an infection is suspected but not yet proven.
In 2011, a study suggested that antibiotics in labour lead to antibiotic resistance, when treating late-onset serious bacterial infections in infants.
In 2016, an article by MidwifeThinking discussed outcomes that suggest antibiotics prescribed during labour or when having a C-section, leads to infant Dysbiosis. Also known as, an imbalance in the gut microbial, which can increase your bubs risk of disease and infection.
Both research outcomes are alarming for mama’s to be.
Infant Dysbiosis can cause metabolic issues such as;
Inability to absorb nutrients from vitamins and essential amino-acids
Obesity
Diabetes
Excessive cravings
Diarrhea or constipation
Infant Dysbiosis immunity & inflammation issues include;
Rheumatoid arthritis
Depression
Asthma
Autism
Inflammatory Bowel disease
What is Vaginal Bacterial Seeding?
The typical process of bacterial seeding for bubs born vaginally, involves the water breaking, bub passing through the vaginal canal, consuming fluid that contains good bacteria in the vagina and lastly gains the external vaginal and fecal bacteria when exiting the birth canal. This used to be thought to enhance bub gut flora.
During a C-Section birth, bub skips that entire process leading to gut dysbiosis.
Vaginal seeding was thought to combat this. This process involves swabbing the maternal inner and outer vaginal then smearing that swab onto bubs mouth, ears nose and the remainder of the body when born. The purpose is to allow bub to take in those delightful microbes they would typically get from vaginal birth.
Recent research is however saying that Vaginal seeding isn’t helpful to build gut flora and it is in fact reliant on.
The flora baby grows in pregnancy
The act of receiving Antibiotics in labour or not.
“Here, we discuss from an ecological perspective that it is gut-adapted, not vagina-adapted microbes that are likely to take up residence in the gut and have the most beneficial impact on the developing neonate. Further, we caution the practice of ‘vaginal seeding’ may be potentially unsafe and also give parents and health professionals a false sense of action in restoring the infant gut microbiome following c-section. Instead, we argue that restoring B. longum subsp. infantis, which has evolved to colonize the infant gut, is a safe and ecologically-sound approach to restoring the gut microbiome of infants born by c-section.”
FEMS Microbiology Letters
Tips to take home
If you don’t want intravenous antibiotics, tell your healthcare provider, so they don’t assume you’re okay with it.
Work on building your gut flora during pregnancy or better yet, preconception.
Minimise refined sugars and refined carbohydrates as these foods feed harmful bacteria.
Express breast milk leading up to birth. Expressing is great for nipple stimulation and helps prepare the cervix for labour. It’s also a lifesaver if your baby is having issues attaching post-birth.
If a situation arises, and a health care professional suggests antibiotics for mama or bub,you can say no.
Please keep in mind your health care professionals always have your best intention at heart and want the best for you and your bub. However, we tend to be over cautious rather than under cautious. So, if you do not want antibiotics administered, you can say no.
IT’S ALWAYS YOUR CHOICE.
