COVID-19 transmission through breast milk highly uncommon: AIIMS chief

BHUBANESWAR: Transmission of Covid-19 through breast milk is highly uncommon and has not been reported so far, said AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Director Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane during an online workshop here on Thursday. 

Citing breastfeeding as the most crucial part of nutrition for a child, Dr Batmanabane emphasised the role of field workers on challenges, misconceptions and myths related to breastfeeding during the pandemic. “Mother should follow appropriate respiratory hygiene during feeding. If the mother has respiratory symptoms, she should use mask when caring for the infant and maintain physical distance with other people and avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth,” she said.  

Elaborating on WHO and Unicef guideline on breastfeeding during the pandemic, nutrition specialist of Unicef-Odisha Sourav Bhattacharjee said mother and baby to be nursed together as far as possible and breastfeeding to be initiated within one hour of delivery irrespective of Covid status. 

The mother should put on mask and practice hand hygiene before each feeding. Breastfeeding prevents 20 per cent of newborn deaths and 13 per cent of under-five deaths, he said. AIIMS Associate Professor Swayam Pragyan Parida said mother’s milk acts as a treatment to the child. “In fact, colostrum is the first dose of vaccine for the child as it is rich in antibodies and micronutrients that help in boosting immunity,” she added.