Breast Milk and COVID-19

Abstract

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan in December 2019. This disease, which became a pandemic after a short time, caused the infection and death of millions of people. It is reported that using personal protective equipment such as a mask and paying attention to hand hygiene is effective in protecting against COVID-19 transmitted by respiratory droplets. The pregnancy and neonatal period are considered risky in terms of the disease. In the studies on the mother-newborn relationships regarding COVID-19, it was concluded that contact during breastfeeding does not pose a risk for contamination and infected mothers should continue breastfeeding using necessary protective equipment. Different health problems can be seen in newborns who do not receive breast milk, especially in the first days of life. Many studies conducted with the milk of infected mothers did not detect viruses in breast milk. On the contrary, various immunogenic antibodies were found in antibody tests. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that mothers continue to breastfeed by taking necessary precautions and complying with hygiene rules, and ensure that the child is breastfed by expressing milk with milk pumps in cases where contact is not possible.