Abstract

The gut is considered the largest organ with a significant function in regulating immune homeostasis throughout the life of an individual. The presence of “good” microbes in the gut tract makes the individual healthier, for example, in Parkinson’s disease a decrease in beneficial microbes such as Blautia and Roseburia is observed contrary to a high population of Akkermansia and Verrucomicrobiaceae which is associated with mucin degradation. The first and foremost microbial colonization in the human gut occurs at the fetal stage in utero. Further, a vast amount of the resident microbial population is also transferred in utero from the oral cavity of the mother. The medical practices of birth, that is, the cesarean delivery or the vaginal delivery regulate the microbiome composition of the newborn. Unregulated dietary changes in human lifestyle along with antibiotics and environmental exposures can alter the gut microbiome. Typically, with less recognized implications for health and the likelihood of disease occurrence, the unhealthy gut impairs the normal functioning of the microbiota. Further, it has been extensively investigated that the intestinal tract harbors the largest and most diverse microbial population, and forms the Enteric Nervous System. Elucidation of the factors that influence this mutualistic relationship is therefore vital for understanding the Gut–Brain communication.

Key words: Caesarean, Dysbiosis, Gastro-intestinal tract, Intestinal barrier, Microbiome, Vagina