19 EraBreast Feeding in the COVID

Breast Feeding in the COVID-19 Era

Breastfeeding is essential for infant health and development, and for mother-child bonding. As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), sweeps through the globe, it is natural for lactating mothers to worry about the health of their newborn and breastmilk transmission of the viral disease. To date, no evidence is available on SARS-CoV-2 transmission to the infant through breast milk. 1,2 The consensus is that the benefit of breastfeeding far outweighs the risk of infecting the baby, regardless of COVID-19 status. 3-6 General recommendations include not delaying nursing while waiting for the COVID-19 test results, washing hands before and after touching the baby, practicing respiratory hygiene, and sterilizing milk pumping kits and bottles between uses. 4,5,7

References:

1. Chen H, Guo J, Wang C et al. Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records. The Lancet. 2020;395:809-815.

2. Peng Z, Wang J, Mo Y, et al. Unlikely SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission from mother to child: A case report. J Infect Public Health. 2020;13(5):818‐820.

3. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection in Pregnancy. Version 8, April 2020

4. World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Office. Breastfeeding advice during the covid19 outbreak, April 2020. Available from http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/nutritioninfocus/breastfeeding-advice-during-covid-19-outbreak.html. Accessed May 14, 2020.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, April 2020. Available from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/needextra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html. Accessed May 14, 2020.

6. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Coronavirus (COVID-19), Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding, April 2020 https://www.acog.org:443/en/PatientResources/FAQs/Pregnancy/Coronavirus- Pregnancy-andBreastfeeding. Accessed May 14, 2020.

Alissar Mousallem

PharmD Candidate

Lebanese American University