The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have been quite tough particularly for expectant and new mothers. One of the chief concern areas for them has been breastfeeding their little ones in the current scenario.
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants, that protects them against all kinds of illnesses. With the limited data available so far, the transmission of active COVID-19 through breast milk and breastfeeding has not been detected yet. However, there are many benefits of breastfeeding that exceed the potential risks of transmission and illness associated with COVID-19.
Reports of NHP say, if the mother has symptoms of or confirmed COVID-19, she should take the following steps to avoid spreading the virus to her baby and can breastfeed if they wish to do so:
- Wear a mask/ cloth face covering during any contact with the baby, including while feeding
- Wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub before touching the baby
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue. Then dispose of it immediately and wash hands again
- Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces that mothers have touched
In an exclusive interaction with Healthwire, Dr. Sumita Ghosh – Additional Commissioner In Charge at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shared some important insights on breastfeeding and Can COVID-19 positive mothers breastfeed or not?
Watch Full Video Here:
“A new mother should definitely breastfeed and this decision has been taken long back since when COVID started, though the situation of COVID pandemic is dynamic and evolving but the decision has not changed. A mother should breastfeed because there is evidence that the chances and the risks of COVID spread in the new baby is very less and hardly there is any evidence regarding this. Moreover, there are numerous benefits of breastfeeding hence it should be encouraged widely,” said Dr. Sumita Ghosh.
Hence, it is important to change medical masks as soon as they become damp and dispose of them immediately. Masks should not be reused or touched in the front.
If the mother is too unwell to breastfeed her baby due to COVID-19 or other complications, she can be supported to safely provide her baby with breast milk in a way possible, and acceptable to her such as expressing milk, donor human milk, wet nursing (another woman breastfeeds the child) or infant formula milk with safety measures.