Cesarean Section Results in Heavier Mouse Pups

Vaginal birth leads to changes in the development of offsprings’ microbiomes not seen among mice born via C-section, which researchers suspect might contribute to the weight differences.

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ISTOCK, DENBOMAMice born by Cesarean section grow up to be heftier than their counterparts born vaginally, a new study shows. The result, published today (October 11) in Science Advances, suggests the birthing procedure messes with the mice’s gut bacteria, making them more prone to weight gain.

“C-section leads to increased body weight gain in a mammal model. In humans, there is epidemiological evidence that this happens too,” study coauthor Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello of New York University School of Medicine tells The Scientist in an email. The results join a mixed bag of studies in both animals and humans that have yet to determine conclusively the health effects of babies’ modes of delivery.

In the paper, Dominguez-Bello and colleagues note that C-section surgery is sometimes a lifesaving procedure, necessary in 10 percent to 15 percent of births to avoid death of the mother, child, or both. C-sections, however, have increased, with doctors in some regions of the world performing them 43 percent of the time. In the U.S., C-sections account for 32 ...

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Meet the Author

  • Ashley Yeager

    Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.

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