WHO: Mothers with Coronavirus can breastfeed

Breastfeeding protects newborns from getting sick and also helps protect them throughout their infancy and childhood.

World Health Organization recommends that moms with Covid-19 are kept with their babies so they can continue directly breastfeeding,  as long as the mothers are healthy enough to care for their babies.

However, mothers with any symptoms who are breastfeeding or practising skin-to-skin contact should take precautions.

Actions for breastfeeding mothers

• Practice respiratory hygiene, including during feeding. If you have respiratory symptoms such as being short of breath, use a medical mask when near your child.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or sanitizer before and after contact with your child.
• Routinely clean and disinfect any surfaces you touch.

WHO advises those severely ill to express milk and safely provide feed the infant.

“If you are too unwell to breastfeed or express breastmilk, you should explore the possibility of relactation (restarting breastfeeding after a gap), wet nursing (another woman breastfeeding or caring for your child), or using donor human milk. Which approach to use will depend on cultural context, acceptability to you, and service availability” says WHO.

WHO further warns against separation of mothers who are positive and their babies, including promotion of breast milk substitutes. It recommends the following actions for health facilities and their staff

• If you are providing maternity and newborn services, you should not promote breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles, teats, pacifiers or dummies in any part of your facilities, or by any of your staff.
• Enable mothers and infants to remain together and practice skin-to-skin contact, and rooming-in throughout the day and night, especially straight after birth during the establishment of breastfeeding, whether or not the mother or child has suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19.