Sep 08, 2016 08:38 PM EDT By Sarah T., UniversityHerald Reporter

Babies and children born by cesarean delivery may grow up obese, or may have an increased risk of becoming obese, study finds, compared to those who were born in normal delivery (vaginal delivery). This study may have significant implications for 1.3 million cesarean births per year in the United States.

Cesarean delivery is the common surgical procedure in the U.S. Unlike the normal delivery, or vaginal delivery, a birth of baby through vagina, C-section procedure involves surgical incision in the mother's abdomen and uterus in order to deliver the baby.

The most common risk to babies and children born by C-section is the respiratory problems, thus, increasing the evidence that cesarean babies are more likely of growing up obese, according to Medical News Daily.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, worked on identifying if C-section delivery was associated with obesity among kids and young adults. The group examined a large group of individuals from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), which included, 22,068 children born to 15,271 women. 22.3 % or a total of 4,921 participants were delivered through C-section.

The findings show that women who underwent cesarean delivery had a higher BMI before pregnancy. Aside from that, they were susceptible to have had a cesarean delivery before.

Meanwhile, those who were born via normal deliver are less likely to grow up obese is, these people might more exposed to healthy gut bacteria, researchers explained. These bacteria play important role in regulating diet.

Despite the findings that show data that those who born via CS may have risk to obese, the study doesn't ultimately prove that the procedure has anything to do with the obesity. The researcher clarified that they did not know the reasons why a caesarean section was carried out in the first place, NHS reported.

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