If we turn the microscope on birth, we discover the science of the microbiome. This is the science that strongly supports the midwifery profession. In this presentation, MICROBIRTH filmmaker Toni Harman explains some of the critical microscopic events happening during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, and how these events are supported by the work of midwives, and by student midwives. Toni makes a case that midwives support the vertical transmission of beneficial microbes from mother to child. This helps protect a child’s long-term health. Toni argues that if we can better support midwives, we can better support parents, and in turn, we can better support and protect the health of the next generation.

The association between mode of delivery and feeding method and the healthy microbiome of an infant is well researched and documented (Maddan et al 2016, Reyman et al 2019). Studies have shown that vaginal birth and breastfeeding are both associated with an increase in healthy microbes and a reduction in harmful microbes in the guts of neonates (Linehan 2022). This is important for long-term health, as harmful microbes can lead to poor immunity (Provonost et al 2019, Gomez de Aguero et al 2016), altered neurodevelopment (resulting in autism spectrum disorders, for instance) (Vuong et al, 2017, Laue 2022) and an increase in anxiety and depression (Foster 2013, Peirce et al 2019).  Fostering a healthy microbiome is particularly important for preterm infants who are more susceptible to the effects of harmful microbes, as they have a compromised immune system at birth (Desorcy-Scherah et al 2020).

References:

Desorcy-Scherer, Katelyn BSN; Bendixen, Marion M. MSN, IBCLC; Parker, Leslie A. PhD, APRN, FAAN. Determinants of the Very Low-Birth-Weight Infant’s Intestinal Microbiome: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing 34(3):p 257-275, July/September 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000506

Foster JA, McVey Neufeld KA. Gut-brain axis: how the microbiome influences anxiety and depression. Trends Neurosci. 2013 May;36(5):305-12. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2013.01.005. Epub 2013 Feb 4. PMID: 23384445.

Gomez de Agüero M, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Fuhrer T, Rupp S, Uchimura Y, Li H, Steinert A, Heikenwalder M, Hapfelmeier S, Sauer U, McCoy KD, Macpherson AJ. The maternal microbiota drives early postnatal innate immune development. Science. 2016 Mar 18;351(6279):1296-302. doi: 10.1126/science.aad2571. PMID: 26989247.

Laue HE., Coker MO., Madan JC. The Developing Microbiome From Birth to 3 Years: The Gut-Brain Axis and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes  Frontiers in Pediatrics     10: 2022   URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2022.815885  DOI=10.3389/fped.2022.815885

Linehan K, Dempsey EM, Ryan CA, Ross RP, Stanton C. First encounters of the microbial kind: perinatal factors direct infant gut microbiome establishment. Microbiome Research Reports. 2022; 1(2): 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/mrr.2021.09

Madan JC, Hoen AG, Lundgren SN, Farzan SF, Cottingham KL, Morrison HG, Sogin ML, Li H, Moore JH, Karagas MR. Association of Cesarean Delivery and Formula Supplementation With the Intestinal Microbiome of 6-Week-Old Infants. JAMA Pediatr. 2016 Mar;170(3):212-9. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3732. PMID: 26752321; PMCID: PMC4783194.

Peirce JM, Alviña K. The role of inflammation and the gut microbiome in depression and anxiety. J Neurosci Res. 2019 Oct;97(10):1223-1241. doi: 10.1002/jnr.24476. Epub 2019 May 29. PMID: 31144383.

Pronovost, G. N., & Hsiao, E. Y. (2019). Perinatal interactions between the microbiome, immunity, and neurodevelopment. Immunity, 50(1), 18-36.

Reyman, M., van Houten, M.A., van Baarle, D., Bosch, A.A., Man, W.H., Chu, M.L.J., Arp, K., Watson, R.L., Sanders, E.A., Fuentes, S. and Bogaert, D., 2019. Impact of delivery mode-associated gut microbiota dynamics on health in the first year of life. Nature communications, 10(1), p.4997.

Vuong HE, Hsiao EY. Emerging Roles for the Gut Microbiome in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 1;81(5):411-423. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.024. Epub 2016 Aug 26. PMID: 27773355; PMCID: PMC5285286.

Objectives

At the end of the session, participants should be able:

• To describe how midwives (and student midwives) can support the optimal development of the infant microbiome during pregnancy, labour, birth and early infancy
• To describe the vertical transmission of beneficial microbes from mother to child that takes place during vaginal birth
• To describe the process by which beneficial microbes in the infant gut help train the infant immune system

Speaker

Toni Harman is the producer / director of the multi award-winning film MICROBIRTH and co-author of the books, THE MICROBIOME EFFECT and YOUR BABY’s MICROBIOME. MICROBIRTH has been broadcast internationally and has won the Grand Prix Awards at both the Life Science Film Festival and the Ekotop Envirofilm Film Festival. Toni is also a professional speaker at international conferences about the science of the microbiome and epigenetics. Toni has hosted two international conferences about the infant microbiome, and is the current Educational Leader of MICROBIOME COURSES online school, with over 40,000 enrolled students. Toni combines knowledge gained from researching the subject for ten years with her extensive experience of running educational workshops and courses for adult learners.

Resources 

Watch MICROBIRTH:

Take a free microbiome mini-course

Join our directory: www.themicrobirthplan.com

The association between mode of delivery and feeding method and the healthy microbiome of an infant is well researched and documented (Maddan et al 2016, Reyman et al 2019). Studies have shown that vaginal birth and breastfeeding are both associated with an increase in healthy microbes and a reduction in harmful microbes in the guts of neonates (Linehan 2022). This is important for long-term health, as harmful microbes can lead to poor immunity (Provonost et al 2019, Gomez de Aguero et al 2016), altered neurodevelopment (resulting in autism spectrum disorders, for instance) (Vuong et al, 2017, Laue 2022) and an increase in anxiety and depression (Foster 2013, Peirce et al 2019).  Fostering a healthy microbiome is particularly important for preterm infants who are more susceptible to the effects of harmful microbes, as they have a compromised immune system at birth (Desorcy-Scherah et al 2020).