Premastication is the practice of a mother pre-chewing food before feeding it, mouth-to-mouth, to her baby. While germophobic Western society eschews this practice, it is not only common in the developing world, but provides benefits to a developing baby. Babies are not born with digestive bacteria; they get some from passing through the birth canal, but continue to encounter the beneficial bacteria during breastfeeding and while being handled, in general, by adults. Throughout most of human history, babies also received antibodies and digestive bacteria from the mother's saliva, transmitted via premasticated food. In some cultures, fathers also premasticate food for babies; sometimes even entire family groups will do this – a toddler at a family meal might wander from person to person, being fed by many adults.