
Synbiotic Support for C-Section Infant Microbiota
Read time: 4 minutes Cesarean delivery changes the way infants are colonized in early life, often delaying the arrival of key anaerobes that help train the immune system, mature the intestinal barrier, and support metabolic balance. New evidence suggests that a specific synbiotic formula—pairing prebiotics with Bifidobacterium breve M-16V—may help “close the gap” for fully formula-fed C-section infants by nudging the gut ecosystem toward a more physiologic pattern. A 2025 randomized controlled trial (PMID: 39915586) gives us a closer look at how this microbiome-informed approach can narrow the early biologic difference between cesarean- and vaginally-born infants. Here’s what pediatric integrative clinicians should know. The early-life microbiome & the cesarean gap Birth mode is one of the earliest and strongest influences on infant gut colonization. Vaginal































