Corona Virus and Breastfeeding

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There are many questions and concerns about the coronavirus disease known as (COVID-19). Among them, mothers are asking if it is safe to breastfeed their babies if they have COVID-19.

Please note that this page is not meant to give specific medical advice and is for informational reference only. Medical advice should be provided by your doctor or other health care professional.

Is breastfeeding safe during Covid-19 pandemic?

In the studies on women with COVID-19, there hasn’t been any indication of virus in Breast milk. But we don’t know for sure because of the limitation of the test sample.

This is universally accepted that breast milk provides protection against any illness and helps in building immunity in the babies. In any case, you should take all possible precautions to avoid spreading the virus to your baby, including washing your hands before touching your child and wearing a face mask while breastfeeding. If you are using pump, wash your hands before touching any pump or bottle parts. We recommend you consulting your doctor before taking decision on starting or continuing breastfeeding.

Can you breastfeed your baby, If  test positive for COVID-19?

Currently, there is no evidence of the virus in breast milk. Given that the virus is spread through respiratory droplets, mothers should wash their hands and consider wearing a face mask to minimize infants’ exposure to the virus. The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends that mothers infected with COVID-19 express breastmilk to allow someone else to feed the baby. (Be sure to use proper hand hygiene and cleaning of breast pump parts.)

However, the CDC states that handwashing and wearing a face mask should minimize risks to the infant.

Courtesy: https://www.health.harvard.edu/

 What happens if a woman with COVID-19 gives birth?

Based on the CDC recommendations, if a mother with COVID-19 gives birth in the hospital, the baby may be temporarily separated from the mother to reduce risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the newborn. During this time of separation, providing the baby with expressed breast milk is recommended. Once the mother’s symptoms improve and she and the baby are ready to go home, she would follow the guidelines as provided by the doctor, either using expressed milk or allowing mother/baby contact for breastfeeding.