For a long time, scientists were convinced that the environment of the mother’s womb was sterile and that the amniotic fluid was an environment devoid of any bacteria in order to protect the growth of the fetus. However, recent research on the microbiome (the communities of microbes we harbor) show that, contrary to popular belief, the baby’s first encounter with bacteria does not occur at the time of birth.
The researchers succeeded in detecting small amounts of bacteria in the amniotic fluid and placenta, as well as in the intestines of the fetus. Which indicates that the baby’s microbiome is establishing itself much earlier than previously thought, as it is written in the review Birth Defects Research.
“This means that the health of the mother, and the germs she carries, is more important than we thought for the development and health of the baby, including diseases to which it will be susceptible later” explains Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, pediatrician at the University of Alberta (Canada), co-author of the study. Food allergies, for example, would begin in utero, long before the baby is born.
Recently, another study also showed that premature births were linked to bacteria mother’s vagina.
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