Can virus be transmitted through breastmilk?
NEW DELHI: Pregnant women who are positive but asymptomatic can breastfeed their child, according to a medical expert. Doctors said that even though there is no concrete study, however numerous cases have suggested that there is no transfer of the virus through blood.
Speaking to the Millennium
Post, Dr. Madhu Srivastava, an obstetrician and gynecologist at a private hospital said that according to the World Health Organisation’s guidelines a positive mother who is asymptomatic can breastfeed her child.
“We recommend and even the WHO guidelines also say that women can breastfeed their child by taking all the precautions of using masks and gloves. Even if the mother is positive but asymptomatic and takes proper precautions then that should not be an issue,” she said, adding that there is no evidence of virus passing through blood at the moment.
Speaking on whether pregnant women are at a higher risk than non-pregnant women when it comes to Coronavirus, Dr. Madhu said that a pregnant lady is not at a higher risk than a non pregnant case. “There is no evidence at the moment that the infection will transfer from mother to the child inside the womb itself. There is no high risk as well. Nothing is proven,” she said.
However, the Indian Council of Medical Research said the emerging evidence suggests that transmission of Coronavirus from mother to baby before birth or during delivery is possible although the proportion of pregnancies affected and the significance to the neonate is yet to be determined.
The apex health research body also said there are no recorded cases of breast milk being tested positive for COVID-19 at present, and no data suggesting an increased risk of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss in relation to the disease.
Dr. Madhu, meanwhile said that regarding the delivery there is no proof that the infection will pass from blood to the baby.
“From whatever cases we have seen of delivery the baby the tests show that the baby cannot get infection from vaginal fluids or the blood transmitted through that,” she added.
Cases among new born babies are also large as children below the age of ten are vulnerable to the virus.