WHO agrees, Covid-19-positive mothers can breastfeed

CHANDIGARH: Covid-19 doesn't transmit through breastmilk.

The World Health Organisation

(WHO) has said it and

Mohali

's

neonatology

consultant Dr Sunil Kumar Agrawal put it in an advisory at the start of

World Breastfeeding Week

.
Observed every year from August 1 to 7, the week is meant to encourage

breastfeeding

and improve the health of babies around the world. The theme for this year is 'Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet'. Dr Agrawal said: “The WHO and

Unicef

recommend skin contact and breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, even if the mother is Covid-19 suspect or positive. If the case is confirmed, the breastfeeding mothers should first wash hands, wear a mask, and disinfect the touched surfaces frequently."
Doctors say that breastfeeding is the best possible start to life and a cornerstone of infant and young child survival, nutrition, development, and maternal health. That’s why the WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years and beyond. However, concerns have been raised about whether or not mothers with Covid-19 can transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus to their infant through breastfeeding.
Dr Agrawal said: “In case the mother is sick or unable to breastfeed directly, a healthy caregiver can feed expressed breastmilk to the baby with a clean cup or spoon. If thje mother is on a ventilator, explore the options of donor human milk, relactation (restarting breastfeeding after a gap), wet nursing (breastmilk from another woman), and appropriate substitute for breastmilk.”
Early breastfeeding boosts the child's immunity by the direct transfer of antibodies and essential nutrients. Keeping the mothers and their babies together is good for babies' temperature control and the stress management of mothers.