Truth And Myths
Breastfeeding is the one of the best immunity boosters for the newborn. It’s nature’s best food your baby can ever have in their entire life span. However, the entire world submerged in the remorses due to novel coronavirus, causing a lot of questions and queries that this elixir i.e breast milk may not become the cause for infection to your babies! Questions are aroused that whether getting vaccinated when you are lactating may or may not affect your little one. It is important to be aware that there is currently limited safety data and no solid evidence to exhibit that vaccine ingredients could pass to your baby through breast milk. Though one should not forget the benefits of breastfeeding.
Scroll down to get a clear view on breastfeeding and vaccination:
Benefits Of Breastfeeding
Breast milk is nature’s excellent baby food. It comprises immunity-boosting antibodies and beneficial enzymes that scientists have yet to duplicate. Breast milk gives some amazing advantages to your newborn such as
- Protects your child against allergies and eczema, Causes less stomach upset, diarrhoea, and constipation than formula.
- Reduces the risk of viruses, urinary tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroenteritis, ear infections, and respiratory infections.
- Protects against diseases such as spinal meningitis, type 1 diabetes, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- Makes your baby smarter.
- Breastfeeding is a boon for your baby’s brain development
Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for mother and child. Some are describable while others are indescribable.
Know more About Vaccination While Lactating
Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines presently authorized for practice under an Emergency Use Authorization in the United States did not include people who are breastfeeding. Because the vaccines have not been studied on lactating people.
Though there is no known risk in having the COVID-19 vaccines if you are breastfeeding. Although there is a scarcity of safety data for these particular vaccinations in breastfeeding, there is no reasonable mechanism by which any vaccine component could pass to your baby through breast milk. The JCVI advice published on 30 December 2020 says there is no known risk in giving available COVID-19 vaccines to breastfeeding women. Current testimonies have indicated that breastfeeding people who have obtained COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have antibodies in their breast milk, which could help protect their babies. More data are needed to determine what protection these antibodies may provide to the baby.
Therefore breastfeeding women will now be given the vaccination at the duration when they become eligible.
Can COVID-19 pass to a baby through breast milk?
Researchers are yet to understand if COVID-19 can pass through breast milk and cause disease in the infant. Extensive evidence indicates that it is safe to feed breast milk to your baby when you have COVID-19. Remember that breast milk is the most promising source of nourishment for all the babies. Breast milk furthermore helps to safeguard newborns from infections, including infections of the ears, lungs, and digestive system. For these reasons, having COVID-19 should not stop you from giving your baby breast milk. If you plan to breastfeed, discuss with your ob-gyn or other healthcare professional. Compel your intentions understood so that you can proceed to express milk or breastfeed before you bring your baby home.
Should you get the vaccine if you are breastfeeding?
If you are breastfeeding and have been given a COVID-19 vaccine, the decision of whether to have the vaccination is your own preference. When the vaccine is accessible for patients, it will be proposed to breastfeeding women. At this time, there is no data scrutinizing the health effect on breastfed newborns or mothers who were vaccinated. Regardless, any vaccine that brings in breast milk is inclined to be instantly inactivated when the milk is digested. In addition, some of your COVID-19 immunity can pass to the infant through breast milk after you receive the vaccine. Therefore, women should be encouraged not to stop breastfeeding after vaccination. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recommends that all breastfeeding people get the COVID-19 vaccine once it is obtainable. Research shows that breastfed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies. You should therefore not stop breastfeeding in order to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Well, the true advice is to consult your doctor or health care worker and your family members before making the decision.
Precaution While You Are breastfeeding?
Following are the some measures that you can take while breastfeeding:
- Use your own breast pump (one not shared with anyone else), if feasible.
- Wear a mask during feeding.
- Wear a mask whenever you are within 6 feet of your baby.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before touching any pump or bottle parts, and before feeding breast milk.
- Obey directions for satisfactory pump cleaning after each use.
- Clean all components of the pump that landed into touch with breast milk.
- Consider having a healthy caretaker who does not have COVID-19, is not at increased threat for serious illness from COVID-19, and is residing in the same home feeding the expressed breast milk to the baby. If the caretaker is residing in the same home or has been in close contact with you, they might have been endangered.
- Any caregiver feeding the baby should wear a mask when caring for the baby for the whole time you are in isolation and during their own quarantine duration after you complete your isolation.
- Make sure your baby’s newborn screening tests are done.
Breastfeeding your baby, including protecting them against future infections.