Prairie voles born via cesarean section were unable to form pair bonds. However, exposing them to oxytocin allowed the c-section-born prairie voles to form pair bonds upon maturity. The findings raise an interesting question: Is our method of birth more important to how we love and form relationships than we realize?
In the years following birth, researchers found sexual enjoyment appears to be unaffected by the method of delivery at birth.
Women who are given a general anesthetic during a cesarean section delivery have a 54% higher risk of developing postpartum depression. The odds of suicidal thoughts or self-inflicting injury increased to 91%. The study points to a potential protective effect on mental health for regional anesthesia during cesarean section compared to general anesthetic.
The mode of delivery at birth is a significant factor in the composition of gut bacteria. Children born via cesarean section have reduced levels of 'good' bacteria and an increased number of pathogens linked to the hospital environment.
The autonomic nervous system and cortical systems function similarly in low-risk newborns whether they experienced labor and natural birth or were born via elective cesarean section. However, those who were delivered via C-Section following long periods of labor had increased accelerations in heart rate and lower gamma frequency EEG a day after birth than the other two groups.
The delivery method of twins may play a role in their neuropsychological development. A correlation has been discovered between twins born by cesarean section and poor cognitive development compared to twins born via virginal delivery.
Findings may explain why children born by C-sections are more prone to suffer from chronic immune system diseases that those born via vaginal birth, researchers report.