Why are babies born on caesarean section more susceptible to respiratory disease than babies born normally?

Children who have a caesarean section appear wheezing, are prone to respiratory failure and increase the risk of respiratory problems later.

Dr. Nguyen Minh Duc, Otolaryngology, Vietnamese French Hospital (Hanoi), consultant:

Unstable weather, I have received many questions related to respiratory diseases in newborn babies. After inquiring about the situation of the children, it is known that most of the above phenomena are born in the form of caesarean section.

This is not out of my expectations because babies who have a caesarean section often have wheezing, are more likely to suffer from respiratory failure and increase the risk of future respiratory diseases. In addition, the child's ability to suffer from allergies such as allergies, eczema, and asthma is higher than that of normal babies.

Babies born usually take 10 days to complete the immune system, the baby born caesarean takes 6 months.

Why is that?

1. During normal delivery, children will be allowed to pass through the mother's natural birth canal (vagina) and should be swallowed for beneficial bacteria here. These beneficial bacteria stimulate the intestinal microflora of the child, helping to improve the immune system. Children who have a caesarean section are not allowed to undergo this initial favorable condition, so they are significantly affected by the development of the immune system.
2. She gave birth to her baby on slow milk and after 4-5 hours of isolation she was allowed to breastfeed, while her mother's colostrum was very nutritious and contained many antibodies for her to help her improve her immune system.

These are the two main reasons for slow birth of children to improve the immune system compared to normal babies. While a baby usually takes 10 days to complete the immune system, a caesarean birth takes 6 months for a complete immune system.

The caesarean section does not go through the normal birth line, so the baby is not pushed from the uterus to the vagina thanks to contractions and the child does not go through the vaginal canal so the baby's chest is not squeezed and pushed out the amniotic fluid at respiratory tract (lungs, bronchial air) out. This may cause pulmonary exacerbation leading to 'pulmonary slowdown' syndrome, which is likely to cause acute respiratory failure and an increased risk of respiratory problems later.

Longer follow-up time in a hospital usually affects the health of a caesarean child, since the immune system is still incomplete and must be exposed to many bacteria and pathogens in the hospital environment.

Therefore, I always advise my mother to have a caesarean section. It is advisable to feed the baby completely in the first 6 months of life because breastmilk is the best source of nutrients containing many antibodies, helping the child to improve the immune system. In any case, it is recommended to breastfeed babies as soon as possible, especially colostrum in the first days after birth.