Study finds that C-sections are not a risk factor for IBD

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease of the gut made up primarily of two diseases, primarily Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In IBD, the gut and other parts of the digestive tract are attacked by the body's own immune system.  It is not clear how or why IBD occurs but there is a significant amount of research looking at this. It is known that the human gut microbiome goes through a lot of changes from birth through the first few years of life before stabilizing into the “adult” composition. Therefore, looking at the first years of life could be critical for understanding IBD. Researchers in Canada, in a study published by Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, set out to determine if birth by Cesarean section increases likelihood of IBD.

The logic behind this hypothesis is that birth by vaginal delivery would expose the infant to the mother’s vaginal bacteria, which could possibly be essential in the development of the infant’s own microbiome. To study whether C-sections are a risk factor for IBD, the researchers gathered data from the University of Manitoba IBD Epidemiology Database, which keeps health records of all Manitobans diagnosed with IBD between 1984 and March 2010. These records were matched with birth and maternal health records. 1,671 IBD patients were linkable with mothers and therefore used for analysis. 10,488 matched controls were also used.

Analysis showed that IBD patients were no more likely to be born by C-section than the controls. Additionally, urban rather than rural residence was associated with higher instances of IBD. Within families, the likelihood of IBD was not different between C-section and non-C-section siblings.  

In conclusion, there does not appear to be an increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease if a child is born by C-section. Factors such as breastfeeding, socioeconomics, living environment, pets, etc. are still being analyzed for possible contribution to gut microbiome dysbiosis.

Please email blog@MicrobiomeInstitute.org for any comments, news, or ideas for new blog posts.

The views expressed in the blog are solely those of the author of the blog and not necessarily the American Microbiome Institute or any of our scientists, sponsors, donors, or affiliates.