Simply the breast!

Arushi Agarwal explains how COVD-19 may impact your breastmilk

- Arushi Agarwal

Listening to all the news over the internet about COVID, and how lethal it has become, is so overwhelming, especially, if you are a new mum. You have uncontrollable paranoia about almost everything and in times like these, you can get worked up. You can’t think straight, and all you want for your little one is to be safe. In the past few months, there have been a lot of doubts floating around nursing during COVID, and whether you should get ‘jabbed’ or not? Well, is it safe?

NURSING WITH COVID

You might be wondering if you can still breastfeed your tot if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19. The answer is a resounding yes! Even if you have been infected, your milk is not only safe, but also advantageous to your baby. COVID-positive new mums have a greater immune response and more secretory immunoglobulin A(IgA), according to a preliminary study. The predominant antibody shared by breastfeeding mums with their babies in breastmilk is IgA. IgA protects the mouth, respiratory tract, ear tubes, and intestines of the newborn, preventing germs and viruses from sticking to them.

It’s easy to believe that choosing formula or donor milk for your baby is a safe choice, yet the reverse is true. Only your milk–not formula or donor milk–contains the one-of-a-kind antibodies that can help keep your baby safe against COVID-19 infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Academy of Breast-feeding Medicine all urge that mothers continue to feed their kids breastmilk even if they have COVID-19.