Is the delivery mode a critical factor for the microbial communities in the meconium?

Background: Mothers are the primary source of bacteria for newborns, but it is unclear whether mother-to-newborn transmission occurs prior to, during or after birth. Similarly, the effect of the delivery mode on neonatal microorganisms has been the focus of controversy. Methods: Healthy maternal and neonatal pairs that underwent vaginal birth and caesarean section were enrolled in this study. Meconium, placenta, membrane and amniotic fluid samples for newborns and vaginal, rectal and oral samples for mothers were collected. All samples were amplified and sequenced by a 16S rRNA gene primer set targeting bacteria and archaea. Findings: A total of 550 samples from 36 mother-neonate pairs with vaginal births and 42 mother-neonate pairs with caesarean sections were included in this study. The negative controls showed that the data analysis in this study was not affected by contamination. There was a high diversity of microbial communities in the pregnancy environment of the foetus. Meconium samples could be divided into three distinct types that were not influenced by the delivery method. Interpretation: The distribution patterns of bacterial communities in the meconium, placenta, and foetal membranes were highly similar and had nothing to do with the mode of delivery. For approximately half of the placental microorganisms, the same sequence could be found in the vaginal, rectal, and oral samples of the mother. Keywords: Meconium, Microbiota, Delivery mode, Archaea