Upon delivery an infant is exposed to microbes from a variety of sources, including maternal bacteria. Previous studies have shown that babies born via Cesarean-section may be more susceptible to certain pathogens, allergies, and asthma compared to vaginally delivered babies, and that administration of probiotics to infants may reduce allergy incidence in Cesarean-born children. To examine the role of delivery method in the first stages of human bacterial colonization, Maria Dominguez-Bello et al.
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