Babies born through natural birthing have stronger immune systems than those delivered via caesarean section, says a new study.
Researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences researched the impact of birth on the development of the immune system in newborn mouse pups.
Camilla Hartmann Friis Hansen, assistant professor at the Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, said in a press release that findings showed the pups delivered by C-section developed a lower number of cells responsible for the immune system.
Researchers explained that babies born through natural birth are exposed to more bacteria from the mother than those delivered by caesarean section.
A past research developed the hygiene hypothesis in which the authors explained that the newborn's immune system learns to distinguish between its own harmless molecules and foreign molecules in natural birth.
In this study, the researchers found that the pups delivered by C-section had a lower number of cells of a type that play an important role in preventing reactive immune cells from responding to molecules from the body itself, from the diet and from harmless intestinal bacteria.
Researchers also examined any signs of development of type 1 diabetes in C-section pups. However, they did not find any. The team said that they would study whether the pups are prone to other autoimmune diseases.
According to the researchers, the findings of the study might help to develop methods for strengthening the immune system in newborns who are predisposed to autoimmune diseases, said Professor Axel Kornerup Hansen, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology.
The findings have recently been published in Journal of Immunology.
