A baby's route from the womb to the world matters as it determines how they respond to vaccines. Researchers learned that those who were born through vaginal birth had an advantage over those delivered via cesarean.
Baby's Manner of Delivery Matters
A new study from China implies that the manner of delivery -- via vaginal or surgical -- can affect the effectiveness of the measles vaccination. Researchers discovered that babies born via cesarean section require that second shot more than usual. The vaccine has a greater chance of failing if that booster is missing.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in China conducted the investigation, which comprised information from 1,505 Chinese mother-infant couples.
Around 5% of children less than one who receive the first dose of the measles vaccination typically do not develop an antibody response. However, compared to kids born vaginally, those born in China via C-section had a 2.56-fold higher chance of experiencing measles vaccine failure between 2013 and 2018.
Fortunately, the second measles vaccination corrected that mistake, resulting in a delayed but "strong immune response." However, it is crucial to be aware of this gap since it can assist in shaping sensible vaccination regulations.
A record number of children worldwide failed their measles booster in 2021, putting herd immunity in many countries on the verge of collapse.
The University of Cambridge geneticist Henrik Salje admitted that they were aware many children failed to get their second measles vaccination. However, this is reportedly dangerous for them and the wider population.
"Infants born by C-section are the ones we really want to be following up to make sure they get their second measles jab because their first jab is much more likely to fail," Salje added.
Human Gestation Period
Gestation is the time a mammal spends growing inside its uterus between getting pregnant and giving birth. This definition can sometimes become problematic because it may be hard to pinpoint the exact moment of conception in some animals, such as humans and monkeys.
When this happens, the gestational period is usually timed from a particular point in the reproductive cycle, such as the beginning of the preceding menstrual cycle.
For women, the gestational phase begins 40 weeks after the end of the previous menstrual cycle. Thus, the first two weeks of pregnancy are regarded as a non-pregnant phase in which the body prepares for childbearing.
When a sperm fertilizes an egg to generate a zygote during the first two weeks of gestation, conception begins. This means the baby is delivered 38 weeks after conception, marking the end of a 40-week pregnancy.
Understanding the difference between a child's gestational period and age in weeks is critical. A pregnancy measuring 40 weeks could result in a confusing argument over whether it is nine or ten months due to the two-week difference. Despite the widespread belief that a whole month comprises four weeks or 28 days, a full month lasts closer to 4.5 weeks. Nine months is the approximate length of a typical gestational period, calculated by dividing 40 weeks by 4.5.
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