Microbiome Science And Perinatal Care: Why Does It Matter?
You may not realize it, but the cells that make up your body are only about 10% human. The rest of the cells of your body are composed of microorganisms who are continually interacting with your human cells to either keep you vibrant and healthy or sluggish and sickly. The microbiome of the human body is the ecosystem for numerous species of microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses, and other microorganisms are what make up the microbiome that covers the inside and outside of your body. These microorganisms serve different purposes but they all work together and with your body to help you operate in the most efficient manner possible.
The microbiome is responsible for aiding in multiple metabolic processes, increasing immunity to a variety of diseases, and has a critical impact on the interaction between your organs. When there is a disruption in the balance between “good” and “bad” microbes or certain microbes are dislocated into inappropriate parts of the body, this is when the disease is given the opportunity to occur.
The perinatal care period is a very important time for the microbiome as there are many factors that modulate the development and function of this ecosystem spanning prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum phases. So, what you do when you are pregnant, birth your baby and engage with your baby in the postpartum period matters. Our understanding of the microbiome and how to minimize disruption to this important health-driving ecosystem has proliferated in the last decade.
All relevant care providers are called to better understand the microbiome and their implications are common practices through the perinatal period, some of which are beneficial and some of which have negative implications for the microbiome.
Overview
- What is the microbiome?
- Implications of prenatal practices on the microbiome
- Implications of intrapartum practices on the microbiome
- Implications of early post-natal practices on the microbiome
- Breast feeding and microbiome health
Objectives
- Understand the what, why and how of the microbiome
- Understanding how to minimize disruption of the microbiome (spoiler alert – birth practices!)
- Understand how to optimize diversity and function of the microbiome
About the Presenter
Sinéad Dufour, MScPT, PhD
Dr. Sinéad Dufour is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University. She teaches and conducts research in the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Science. She completed her MScPT at McMaster University (2003), her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science at Western (2011), and returned to McMaster to complete a post-doctoral fellowship (2014). Her current research interests include conservative approaches to manage pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy-related pelvic-girdle pain, and interprofessional collaborative practice models of service provision to enhance pelvic health and pain science. Sinéad stays current as a pelvic health physiotherapists through her practice at The World of my Baby (the WOMB) a family of perinatal care centers in Ontario, Canada. Sinéad has been an active member of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) sitting of multiple committees and leading several clinical practice guidelines. She also proud to serve as a clinical advisor many women’s health businesses. Her passion for optimizing perinatal care and associated upstream health promotion for women stemmed from her own experience becoming a mother of twins. She is an advocate for women’s pelvic health and a regular invited speaker at conferences around the world. She is the guest editor for the upcoming special edition of the JWHPT focusing on the 4th Trimester.
