Saturday, February 16, 2013

Blog 3: Dirty Diapers and Childhood Health


          This article discusses a new study between the possible effects of dirty diapers and children, breast milk vs. formula, and cesarean birth vs. vaginal birth.  The main idea is that it’s all about the bacteria and their growth in new born babies.  Bacteria that grow in the stomach provide many natural bodily functions and are essential to help the body fight off the “bad bacteria” later on in life.  The study has shown that babies born through cesarean section do not have the same bacteria in their stomachs as those born through vaginal birth.  This is because in vaginal birth the babies are exposed to many different bacteria in the birth canal and can pick up from the mother’s stomach.  This is, in a certain sense, the baby’s' first ways of immunization towards harmful bacteria before they enter the world.  Babies born of cesarean section do not get these same bacteria because they do not pass through the birth canal.  Previous studies have linked cesarean delivery to higher risk of asthma, diabetes, and obesity, although the reason for this is still not clear.  Breast-feeding also showed a change in microbes as formula babies showed certain bacterium that breast fed babies did not.  This bacterium could cause health problems for the babies later on in life.  Although reasoning and relationships between these variables are still not clear, the studies have shown that there is a connection between health of the babies later on and the presence or lack of certain healthy and unhealthy bacteria.  More studies will be conducted to hopefully provide reasoning and solutions.
            This article is important because babies are very fragile when they are born and most mothers would want the best for their children.  If we could understand what options are the best for newborn babies, then it could prevent possible serious diseases and health risks as the babies grow up.  There are a lot more childhood diseases worldwide and finding out what could prevent them would be essential for parents of newborns.  If cesarean sections are depriving babies of the healthy bacteria they need, then hopefully doctors could develop more options for women who need cesarean sections during childbirth.  The health of young babies is very important worldwide because they are our future and most parents would want what is best for their newborn children to grow and prosper in life.  More studies need to be conducted in order to figure out the effects of breast feeding options and birthing options for newborn children.

Jessilyn Bulla
February 15, 2013
4:27 pm

No comments:

Post a Comment