By Mark Fetalco
Citing preliminary studies, a health expert said on Thursday a breastfeeding mother who received COVID-19 vaccine may pass on antibodies against the coronavirus to their infants.
“This is very preliminary. This is very early evidence that there could be a large potential benefit of a vaccinated mother who breastfeeds passing on antibodies against COVID-19 virus to their own infant,” Dr. Mianne Silvestre of the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) said at the Kalusugan ng Mag-ina and Asia Pacific Center for Evidence-Based Healthcare online forum.
She said preliminary studies show that antibodies are present in the breast milk of lactating mothers who were vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Hindi pa po napa-publish [It hasn’t been published], but when they studied the breast milk, ‘yung gatas ng anim na nagpapasusong ina na naka-receive ng [the milk of six breastfeeding mothers who received] vaccines in that country, they were able to detect in the breast milk of the vaccinated women antibodies against COVID-19,” Silvestre said, citing a study in the United States.
However, she added there is not enough evidence yet whether or not the level of antibodies in breast milk is sufficient to protect the infant against COVID-19.
Silvestre also noted that pregnant women who were vaccinated may transmit antibodies to their babies.
“But it is very early too, that mothers vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines habang buntis [while pregnant], mukhang nagta-transmit, meron din pong dumadaloy na [it looks like it’s being transmitted, there are] COVID-19 antibodies through umbilical cord to the baby during pregnancy,” she added.
Silvestre stressed that it is not recommended for lactating mothers to discontinue breastfeeding either after or before vaccination. She also urged breastfeeding mothers to get vaccinated once they are offered any COVID-19 jab.
