Confusion CLEARED! Should COVID-19 positive mother CONTINUE to breastfeed baby? EXPERT SAYS THIS

Dr Manju Puri, Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi informed that a COVID-19 positive mother should continue to breastfeed the baby.

Representational Image. Source: PTI

Can COVID-19 positive Mother Breastfeed Her Baby?: There has been a lot of confusion among people whether a COVID-19 positive mother should breastfeed her baby or not. Well, the confusion has been cleared. Dr Manju Puri, Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi informed that a COVID-19 positive mother should continue to breastfeed the baby. However, it is advised to keep the baby at a distance of six feet from her when she is not breastfeeding.

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This piece of information from Dr. Puri has cleared the confusion among the minds of the people. As per the release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. she also said, "Vaccines help the body develop immunity against a specific pathogen, it does not affect any other body tissue."

Dr Puri further added, "We strongly recommend an overall health check-up post-COVID recovery to ensure that the mother and the foetus are doing fine."

In this regard, one thing also has to be noted that now COVID-19 vaccines are available for pregnant women and lactating mothers. As per a press release on July 21, 2021, from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Praveen Kumar, Director, Department of Pediatrics, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi said, "And now vaccine is available for pregnant women and lactating , mothers. This will give a certain degree of protection to the growing foetus and new-born against the deadly infection."

People are worried about the fact that if any subsequent waves will affect the children. When asked if the future waves can affect children more severely, Dr. Kumar responded that COVID-19 is a new virus that has potential to mutate but whether the future waves will affect children more or with increased severity are speculations.

Dr Puri informed that during the second wave, many women contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy compared to the first wave. She added, "COVID if severe can lead to serious complications during pregnancy, especially during the last trimester as the uterus is enlarged and presses on the diaphragm, compromising a woman’s ability to cope with a fall in oxygen saturation. This may lead to a sudden fall in blood oxygen saturation and risk the lives of both the mother and the child." Hence, COVID-19 vaccines will help prevent severe disease in pregnant women."

She also stated that an expectant mother should wear a mask and maintain physical distance even when at home, amongst her family members. It is because she may not be going out, but her family members could be going out for work, and she can contract the infection from them.

So, women should use all COVID-appropriate precautions during pregnancy, and after childbirth as it can prevent them from catching the infection and related complications.

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