People born by caesarean section may be at greater risk of becoming obese than those born naturally, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers in Brazil – a country with one of the highest C-section rates in the world – looked at obesity rates in 2,000 people between the ages of 23 and 25. Of the participants who had been born by C-section, 15 percent were considered obese, as compared to only 10 percent of those delivered naturally.
Even after adjusting for other factors, including birthweight, income and education level, birth by caesarean section increased the risk of obesity in adulthood by 58 percent.
The researchers theorize that the increased risk could be due to C-section babies not being exposed to beneficial bacteria found in the birth canal, taking them longer to accumulate the good bacteria which affects the metabolism. Previous studies have shown that obese adults tend to have less of this bacteria in their digestive tracts.
There are gaps in the study, however, making it impossible for scientists to determine causality. More research will be necessary to begin to understand why this link exists.