C-section mums should steer clear of vaginal seeding, doctors warn. The technique involves rubbing vaginal fluid onto the skin of babies born by C-section to mimic the natural transfer of microbes from mother to baby during vaginal birth. This has been reported by some to boost a baby’s response against allergies and asthma.
However, The Danish Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology has produced a guideline on vaginal seeding – and published a commentary on this in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, reporting the lack of evidence around the benefits of vaginal seeding – and the risks involved for the baby. The main risk is infection: early onset neonatal sepsis, can be caused by the transfer of bacteria including E. coli and Group B streptococcus from the mother during vaginal birth.