Prophylactic antibiotics in caesarean delivery before or after cord clamping – protecting the mother at the expense of the infant’s microbiota?

To prevent postoperative infections after caesarean deliveries, most obstetric guidelines recommend intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis before skin incision as opposed to after cord clamping (1). However, the clinical reality may have changed since this procedure was recommended. In this commentary, we will argue against this recommendation, as we regard the benefits to the mother do not outweigh the potentially detrimental effects on the infant.