Kids Born Via C-Section Are More Likely To Be Obese, Study Finds

It has nothing to do with a mother’s weight.

Women who are obese are more likely to have C-sections, but not as much is known about the effect of C-sections themselves, Dr. Jorge Chavarro, one of the study’s coauthors, told HuffPost. In fact, this was one of the main motivations for the report.

“Several studies had previously reported that children born by cesarean were more likely to become obese later in life, but most of these studies did not have information on maternal weight status before pregnancy,” Chavarro said.

His team found the higher risk for obesity among C-section children held true even after controlling for factors including pre-pregnancy body mass index and other potential contributors to obesity risk such as mother’s age at delivery, race and region of birth.

More study is needed to pinpoint exactly why C-sections influence weight gain, the report says, but experts suspect it could be due to that missing bacteria: When most babies pass through the birth canal, they pick up a variety of bacteria that help them digest milk and break down food. C-section babies, however, don’t get exposure to such a vast array of microbes, and may more readily become obese as a result.

The authors note that C-sections are necessary and life-saving in many cases, but suggest future moms with options should consider consider the findings when determining a birth plan.