WHO says Covid infected Lady Can Do Breastfeeding to Baby! Why?

 It is devastating to see so many individuals to get infected by Sars-CoV-2. Covid-19 has upside down the the lives of many individual and it is so tough to predict how will covid-19 effect a new born baby or the baby in womb.

 

There is is not enough research available which can conclude that Sars-CoV-2 can be transmitted in the womb to the fetus via amniotic fluid or blood or by breast feeding.

There are many women who has given birth to babies after suspected and cured by Sars-CoV-2. 

So does this mean that the virus is present breast milk or amniotic fluid? 

It may happen that pregnant lady infected with with covid-19 may have health issues, premature birth of baby or death of fetus in womb itself.

Breastfeeding is the the cornerstone of any infant and baby for the survival and as a source of nutrients.In general doctor suggest  breast feeding exclusively for at least first six months. This can be later added up with external complementary nutritional foods and supplements. 

But because of covid-19 and pandemic, the concern for babies and the mother both are raised like whether the mother with covid-19 can transmit the virus to the infant via breastfeeding?

Now this decision is recommended on the basis of of complete considerations of not only the risk of transmission of the virus but also the nutritional rate morbidity and mortality associated with breastfeeding. 

According to WHO guidelines and recommendations the mother with suspected or confirmed case of covid-19 infected via Sars-CoV-2 should do breastfeeding. 

WHO recommends mother and baby should remain together while in quarantine throughout the day and night, and practice skin to skin contact including Kangaroo mother care especially immediately after birth. This should be practice independent of whether the mother or baby have suspected or confirmed for covid-19.

To prove this statement WHO has undergone a systematic review of evidence in which the procedures of Cochrane handbook for systemic review of interventions was carried, using the latest research done on 15th may 2020, identify the studies including mother suspected with or confirmed with Sars-CoV-2.

According to the records of WHO the research was conducted on Cochrane Library, EMBASE (OVID), PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) and the WHO Global Database.

The total number of 12,198 records were retrieved, out of which 153 records evidenced the pre or post pregnancy cases in which the mother had covid-19 which included full text review.

A total of 46 mother-infant who had suspected case of Sars-CoV-2 infection,  had breast milk samples tested for COVID-19 out of which 13 infants were tested positive for Sars-CoV-2. Breast milk samples from 43 mothers were negative for the COVID-19 virus while samples, however from 3 mothers tested positive for viral particles by RT- PCR.  Among the 3 infants whose mother's breast milk tested positive for virual RNA particles, not live virus, one infant tested positive for COVID-19 but infant feeding practices were not reported. The two other infants tested negative for COVID-19; one was breastfed, and the other newborn was fed expressed breast milk after viral RNA particles were no longer detected. 

In the single child with COVID-19, was unclear that from which route or source the baby was infected, through breast milk or droplet from a close contact with the infected mother.

A preprint article shows secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) immune response against the Sars-CoV-2 was found in 12 of 15 breast milk samples from mothers with COVID-19. The implications of this finding on the effect, duration and protection against COVID-19 for the child was not addressed.

 Note:  The above analytical data has been collected from official WHO website, any information provided here do not claim for any proof or any practical orientation.