Breast Milk Of Vaccinated Mothers Contains Antibodies That Fight COVID-19: Study

Washington: The breast milk of nursing mothers who have received the COVID-19 vaccine contains a significant supply of antibodies that may help protect nursing infants from the illness, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine, strongly suggests that vaccines can help protect both mother and baby, another compelling reason for pregnant or nursing women to get immunised. “Our findings show that vaccination results in a significant increase in antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk, suggesting that vaccinated mothers can pass on this immunity to their babies,” said Joseph Larkin, a senior study author, and an associate professor at the University of Florida, US.

Also Read: Three Dose COVID-19 Vaccine For Children Aged 12-17 Will Be Rolled Out In October: Expert Panel Chief

The researchers noted that when babies are born, their immune systems are underdeveloped, making it hard for them to fight infections on their own.

They are also often too young to respond adequately to certain types of vaccines, they said.

“During this vulnerable period, breast milk allows nursing mothers to provide infants with ‘passive immunity’,” said Josef Neu, study’s co-author and a professor at the University of Florida.

Think of breast milk as a toolbox full of all the different tools that help prepare the infant for life. Vaccination adds another tool to the toolbox, one that has the potential to be especially good at preventing COVID-19 illness, Mr Neu explained.

The study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2021, when the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines first became available to health care workers in the US.

The researchers recruited 21 nursing health care workers who had never contracted COVID-19.

Also Read: Sugars From Human Milk Could Help Treat, Prevent Infections In Newborns: Study

They sampled the mothers’ breast milk and blood three times: before vaccination, after the first dose and after the second dose.

We saw a robust antibody response in blood and breast milk after the second dose — about a hundred-fold increase compared with levels before vaccination, said Lauren Stafford, a doctoral student in Mr Larkin’s lab.

“These levels are also higher than those observed after natural infection with the virus,” added Vivian Valcarce, from the University of Florida.

Vaccinating mothers to protect babies is nothing new, Valcarce said.

Typically, expectant mothers are vaccinated against whooping cough and flu because these can be serious illnesses for infants. Babies can also catch COVID-19, so routine vaccination of mothers against the virus could be something we see in the future, he said.

The team is continuing to explore how breast milk containing COVID-19 antibodies gained through vaccination protects babies who consume it.

We would like to know if infants who consume breast milk containing these antibodies develop their own protection against COVID-19, Mr Larkin said.

The researchers said many other simultaneous studies conducted around the world also show antibodies in the breastmilk of vaccinated mothers.

That means our study validates a growing body of evidence, Mr Neu added.

Also Read: “Nutritional Needs Of A Woman Are Higher While Breastfeeding”, Says Expert With Emphasis On A Balanced Diet

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.