Babies born naturally may have advantage in response to childhood vaccines, researchers say

BOSTON – Babies born naturally may have an advantage when it comes to their response to childhood vaccines. 

A baby's gut microbiome is seeded with bacteria during passage through the birth canal, develops over the first few weeks of life, and likely affects a baby's early response to vaccines. 

Researchers in Europe studied 101 babies who received routine vaccines against lung infections and meningitis. 

They found that those delivered vaginally had higher levels of antibodies in their saliva compared to those delivered by C-section. 

Perhaps in the future, babies born by C-section could be supplemented with important bacteria shortly after birth to help jump-start their microbiome and increase their immune response to vaccines.

In:
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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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