Selected abstract: Caesarean section stunts the gut microbiota and predisposes pathogen colonisation during very early life

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Selected abstract: Caesarean section stunts the gut microbiota and predisposes pathogen colonisation during very early life

Modern clinical practises such as Caesarean section (C-section) delivery, antibiotic exposure and formula diets have been associated with diseases in childhood and later in life. However, the impact of these exogenous factors on the gut bacteria acquisition and development in early life is unclear. Most knowledge in this area is derived from the use of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, however, these studies are limited by poor taxonomic resolution, small cohort sizes and a lack of longitudinal characterisation.

Our work establishes the importance of mode of delivery and local environment in shaping neonatal microbiotas. C-section delivery exposes neonates to early colonisation of hospital-associated bacteria with virulence and AMR potential,  which could put them at risk of opportunistic infections during the critical stage of early-life immune development.