Demands Increase for 'Vaginal Seeding' In C-Section Babies but Is It Safe?

Parents with babies born via caesarean section are requesting for "vaginal seeding" to help keep the infants healthy.

The process of vaginal seeding is done by taking some of the mother's vaginal fluid that is wiped over a newborn's mouth, face, skin and eyes. The idea is to bolster the immune system of the body, improve gut bacteria and reduce the risk of obesity or allergies.

The procedure is high in demand among new parents in the U.K., but experts say that the practice has no scientific backing and could even harm the baby.

"Demand for this process has increased among women attending hospitals in the UK -- but this has outstripped professional awareness and guidance. At the moment we're a long way from having the evidence base to recommend this practice. There is simply no evidence to suggest it has benefits -- and it may carry potential risks," said Dr. Aubrey Cunnington from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London and lead author of an article published in BMJ.

The vaginal seeding procedure allegedly became a trend as large studies on C-section babies state that they are at risk for certain childhood and autoimmune diseases because the babies do not go through the vaginal canal like normal birth babies do.

By swabbing babies with vaginal fluid after birth, Dr. Cunnington says that they are at risk of being exposed to harmful group B streptococcus bacteria, chlamydia, gonorrhea and the herpes simplex virus.

"People have made a leap of logic that gut bacteria must be the link between Caesarean section and risk of these diseases, Dr. Cunnington said. "But we just don't know this for sure -- or whether we can even influence this by transferring bacteria on a swab from mum to baby."

Babies swabbed with the fluid now share the same potential risk with babies born naturally, but he noted that it is important for parents to tell the hospital staff about the procedure.

"Its important parents tell staff they have performed the procedure, so the healthcare team are aware the baby is at risk of the same infections as a baby born by vaginal delivery," he said.

Additionally, health providers should also be aware of the increasingly popular procedure and take it into account when they're assessing infants for possible infections. Parents and health professionals say that breastfeeding is still best for babies and that keeping this as a priority is more important in keeping the baby healthy than vaginal seeding.