The benefits of breast milk cannot be denied, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A study carried out by Spanish public research proves the milk of mothers infected with the coronavirus does not contain traces of the virus, but that it is a vector of antibodies for the baby.
The study therefore recommends breastfeeding, even in cases of contamination.
According to this study, carried out as part of an initiative called MilkCorona, led by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and a university hospital in Valencia, none of the breast milk samples analyzed contained traces of the RNA of the coronavirus. , explains María Carmen Collado, researcher in charge of the project.
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On the other hand, they contained the antibodies developed by the mother, "which suggests that breast milk is a vector for transmitting antibodies".
Results that underline "the importance of recommending breastfeeding systematically in all cases where the mother has few or no symptoms," says Cecilia Martínez Costa, from the pediatric department of the Hospital Clínico de Valencia.
Antibodies in the milk of vaccinated women
The researchers also analyzed the presence of antibodies in the breast milk of 75 women vaccinated with sera from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca and showed that all samples contained antibodies at varying levels depending on the vaccine, the statement added.
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The study also highlights that the milk of women who received a dose of the vaccine after contracting the virus and that of women who received both doses of a vaccine without ever having caught the Covid contained the same level of antibodies.