I recently saw a cute cartoon showing a very pregnant woman conversing with her doctor, comparing calendars and attempting to select the most convenient date for the birth of the woman’s baby.
“The 17th is too busy for me, how about the 18th?” the mother inquires.
I’ve always believed that babies come when babies are “done,” when they are ready to be born at the healthiest possible moment. Yet in today’s world, Cesarean sections are performed, often for the convenience of doctors and occasionally for the convenience of parents.
Cesarean section is becoming more and more common. In its most recent statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 32.7% of all births were by Cesarean in 2013. It’s hard to imagine that there is sound medical reasoning for nearly one-third of all babies born in the U.S. to be born artificially, up from 20.7% in 1996. The World Health Organization suggest a Cesarean rate not higher than 15%.
A hefty price
And there is a huge price we pay for this convenience, according to Dr. David Perlmutter, who I recently heard speak at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim.
Babies born by Cesarean have double the risk of autism and triple the risk of ADHD. They also have increased risk for obesity and all of the health problems that accompany excess weight, says Dr. Perlmutter, author of Grain Brain and the soon-to-be released Brain Maker.
Why? We know that babies born through natural vaginal birth are inoculated with the bacteria and fungi, called the microbiota, of the mother. Babies born by C-section do not benefit from this first stage of developing the delicate balance of microorganisms that make up a healthy gastrointestinal system and develop strong immune systems that lead to a healthy brain.
Some doctors are now recognizing this problem and transferring the mothers’ vaginal microbiota to the child, even after a C-section.
Fecal transplants
Yes, I know, we are now approaching the “yuck” factor. More about this in future blogs. We’re talking about transferring a small amount of feces, usually from a close family member, to the digestive tract of the infant (or to an adult suffering from any numbers of brain problems, including multiple sclerosis) in order to bring balance back to the digestive tract, close up leaky gut that allows toxins to enter the bloodstream, and even cross the blood-brain barrier, triggering these health issues.
Say “no” to “C”
It’s a little complicated, but here’s the bottom line: If you are pregnant or you know someone who is pregnant, resist a C-section unless you are absolutely convinced the procedure is necessary for medical reasons, rather than for anyone’s convenience.
If you have a child who is autistic, obese or has ADHD, by all means, explore the idea of harvesting vaginal microbiota from the mother. Also fecal transplants, which, thanks to the FDA, are available through extremely limited numbers of medical facilities for research for “new drugs,” despite the fact that human fecal transplants were used as far back as the 4th century in China and have been used by veterinarians for over 100 years.
