Occurrence of Bifidobacterium in the feces of newborns delivered by cesarean section.

In cesarean section newborns, colonization by Bifidobacterium occurs generally within 4 days of life. Breast-fed infants, independent of the delivery procedure, harbor a gastrointestinal flora characterized by a predominance of Bifidobacterium. Breast-fed [corrected] newborns delivered by cesarean section present a predominance of Bifidobacterium bifidum and bifidobacterium infantis in their stools. Investigation of variation in the incidence of Bifidobacterium among cesarean section newborns shows a larger variety of bifidobacterial species in an urban hospital. The prevalence of Bifidobacterium is lower in a newly constructed suburban hospital. Alimentation and environment hence seem to constitute important factors in the control of bifidobacterial flora.