Is caesarean delivery associated with sensitization to food allergens and IgE-mediated food allergy: a systematic review

[ema-adama]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19076564?ordinalpos=41&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum


Overall, there is evidence that the risk of developing IgE-mediated sensitization to food allergens is increased among children delivered by caesarean section, however further studies using objectively diagnosed food allergy as the outcome are needed to verify whether this equates to an increase in confirmed food allergy.

[ZGT Mummy]

On the whole, given the limited amount I know of the birthing process in terms of systems "boot" it gives to the newborn I would agree that c-section babies are at greater risk of IgE mediated allergies, as well as a raft of other things.

Having said that, my family is the exception. My c-section baby has no IgE mediated allergies, no eczema, no asthma. This despite a very strong family history. He is also very healthy, has had the usual colds etc but has never had to have antibiotics etc. The only thing with him was that he had terrible reflux as a baby but it was gone by about 5-6 months.

My VBAC baby is my allergy boy with a long list of IgE mediated allergies.

My HBAC baby girl seems to be having some sensitivities though at this stage no diagnosed IgE mediated allergies.

So we are backwards in this family, no surprises there though!

[magical1]

My ceaser baby has allergies... coupled with the ceaser, vaccines, formula mixed with fluoridated water supply, it's hardly surprising

[ZGT Mummy]

Oh and forgot to add that my allergy-free c-section baby also had formula top-ups at the hospital (though was BF for 16 months after that). I think my family is a complete anomoly though, in more ways than just this lol!

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

It has been proven in medical articles (several) that formula top up in hospital, vastly escalates and increases allergy in babies who are subsequently breastfed. it sounds strange, but it sensitizes some babies.

the problem with rules is that they always accentuate the exceptions.

The reality is that we are all different, but I believe that there is always a reason for tinduction of allergy, because it's not the way the body is programmed to function under normal circumstances. Trick is finding out what that "reason" is.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

BTW here is that article. In my opinion, it's not a good one, because the authors just don't seem to have grasped that the main issue is how a baby's gut flora is colonised in the first place. This article that follows doesn't deal with that at all. And Mazmanian is very very naive. He thinks that before he came along, "no-one seemed too curious about what the seemingly passive commensal bacteria were doing". What he fails to realise is that LOTS of scientists did, but were sidelined by a system which only makes money by hitting all bacterial nails with an antibiotic hammer. There is no money to be made by keeping the body microbiome a fully functioning entity as it is actually designed to work given the "tools" to do the job.

The microbial health factor (http://strongmail.the-scientist.com/track?type=click&mailingid=1430&messageid=1&databaseid=8&serial=1204300391&emailid=butler@watchdog.net.nz&userid=16666&extra=&&&2008&&&http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/55864/)


What these scientists often don't realise is that what works, is a whole microbial ecosystem. They think that you can just look at one thing and come to a conclusion, when it doesn't work like that.

Classic case. I was talking to a mother recently, whose baby has been hit for six for the last four months. In going through her history, she was prescribed three hard-core antifungal courses for thrush during pregnancy, put on antibiotics for strep B (because it might kill her baby :rolleyes: ) for the last part of her pregnancy, during deliver and after deliver! fortunately for her and her baby, she suddenly developed urticaria from the antibiotics when the baby was three weeks, but they are now trying to deal with the fall out. the baby is still sick from repeated bacterial infections, and the mother has to recolonise her gut having been successively napalmed in different ways at the most crucial times in her reproductive life.

as I said in the AIMA position paper, it's not JUST a caesarian that counts. There are a whole lot of interventions in pregnancy, during deliver and afterwards that contribute to the whole picture.

BUT if a mother has had a totally intervention free pregnancy with no thrush or other "malnutrition" conditions , and has a vaginal delivery, her baby should be appropriately colonised. If she long term breastfeeds, then the chances of her having an allergic baby is drastically reduced.

[ZGT Mummy]

totally intervention free pregnancy

Can you explain what you mean by this?

I know there's always exceptions, as my family is, my DS1 "should" be my allergy boy and my DS2 "should" be allergy free and DD "should" have the best immune system of all. In reality DS2 is a disaster, DD is looking like she's going to be a bit sensitive, and DS1 has no issues at all?!?!? I put it down to first and foremost genetic jackpot? DS1 just "got lucky".

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

By totally intervention free pregnancy I mean:

1) No antiacids to deal with heart burn.

2) No antibiotics.

3) No paracetamol/ibuprofen etc etc...

4) No elective drugs. Obviously a type one diabetic needs insulin. I'm sure you know what I mean.

This could be extended to no dental work; no anaesthesias, except local if required for stitching, but locals aren't required for stitching. no alcohol;

In other words, a pregnant woman who KNOWS what a healthy diet is, who drinks decent water, eats decent foods with no spray residues etc... ideally, a pregnancy is planned with all that in mind: to be really healthy.

Both my pregnancies were carefully planned from beforehand.

The primary monkey wrench in my pregnancies (in particular because I have a pre-existing immunodeficiency) was the doctors waiting room, with that invisible sign waiting just for me saying, "Catch your next lurg here!!!"

Once I wised up to the fact that doctor's waiting rooms were an automatic infectious laboratory ready to terrorise my body, I worked out circumventing strategies.

Primarily, food was my medicine: I ate from a very wide range of food, in what was essentially a rotational policy, though it wasn't planned that way.

Our second baby had food allergies, so those foods were removed from HIS diet, and he was pretty much fully breastfed until three years of age. (I didn't remove those foods from my diet, but very rarely ate them anyway, as they weren't foods that appealed to my body anyway.) after that, foods were gradually introduced, and by four and a half he had adjusted, was no longer clinically allergic, and he weaned himself.