Baby’s First Bacteria: When Does the Microbiome Begin?

We often talk about the importance of method of birth on a newborn’s health, not only in the short-term, but in the long-term. Research has found, again and again, that vaginal birth, and the experience of going through the birth canal, exposes a child to various microbes that form the basis for their own gut microbiome.

I’m not here to dive into that research today though (but you can learn more here). Excitingly, new research is finding that the placenta may actually play a significant role in microbiome development. This would change everything we know about the placenta’s purpose! Let’s take a deeper look.