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 ...
