Doctors have raised concerns about this birth practice and are urging parents not to buy into it.

‘Vaginal seeding’ reportedly originated in Australia and has since grown in popularity in the UK, with mums requesting their newborn babies have vaginal fluid rubbed in their face, eyes and skin immediately after a cesarean birth via swab, reports The Mirror.

The BBC reports, doctors in Denmark and the UK have said not only is there too little evidence to substantiate its so-called benefits, but it also may be doing more harm than good.

Babies born via c-section are thought to be at greater risk of some immune-based diseases.

Doctors have warned parents of the serious risks vaginal seeding poses to a baby, including infections such as group-B streptococcus, E. coli and a range of sexually transmitted infections.

Dr Tine Clausen, the report author and a consultant at Nordsjaellands Hospital in Denmark, told the BBC: “We know that women and their partners are increasingly speaking to their doctors about vaginal seeding.”

“I really understand, it’s a fascinating thought that you’re able to mimic nature by doing the seeding, but it’s based on some theoretical thoughts and we don’t have evidence to support it.”

Dr Patrick O’Brien, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “There is no robust evidence to suggest that vaginal seeding has any associated benefits.

“We would therefore not recommend it until more definitive research shows that it is not harmful and can in fact improve a child’s digestive and/or immune system.”

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