As of date, both Moderna and Pfizer are testing their vaccines on infants as young as six months. But before the vaccine can make it to infants, breastfeeding vaccinated moms have already thought of ways to boost the immunity of other infants, potentially saving them from the risk of the pandemic with COVID-19 antibodies through their breastmilk. Studies have shown this can be life-saving.
Small Study as Basis for COVID-19 Antibodies
Recent studies suggest COVID-19 antibodies may be passed on from mother to infant during breastfeeding, CTVNews reported. Previously, research had also determined that infants carried antibodies when their mother was infected with COVID-19. The latest data looks into passing those antibodies to other infants through the breastmilk of vaccinated mothers.
A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in March looked into the possibility of passing antibodies through breastmilk. The researchers tracked five women vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Over three months, the researchers studied how long the antibodies would remain present in their breastmilk after being vaccinated. This was the first study to show the persistence of COVID-19 antibodies in breastmilk months after the nursing mom is vaccinated.
COVID-19 Antibodies found in Breastmilk of Vaccinated Moms
The breastmilk samples were taken and studied at different stages. The study revealed that protective COVID-19 antibodies continued to be present in breast milk even after 80 days of vaccination, NYTimes reported.
Further, Jeanie Kelly, co-author of the study and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Washington University School of Medicine, noted a "huge boost in COVID-19 antibodies in breastmilk two weeks after receiving the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine." Moreover, there is a likelihood that the COVID-19 antibodies remain longer in the breastmilk. The protection is likely to extend longer as researchers noted high antibody levels when they ended the study.
Further Studies on Vaccinated Mothers and their Breastmilk
A non-peer-reviewed study on ten vaccinated mothers-either Pfizer or Moderna -found significant levels of a specific antibody, the IgG, in their breastmilk samples. Bridget Young, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, noted that the study's early results further suggested that breastmilk from mothers who previously had the COVID-19 infection may also contain active antibodies. Hence, they may transfer the antibodies through their breastmilk without transferring the virus.
COVID-19 Vaccinated Moms Help Protect Babies
The researchers revealed new data indicating maternal vaccination might help protect babies during pregnancy and receive the breastmilk of vaccinated moms, Eurekalert noted. Co-author of the study, Kelly strongly recommends pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Is it Safe to Give Babies the Breastmilk of Vaccinated Moms?
Have you ever been told to dump your breastmilk after getting vaccinated or waiting until your baby is older before getting vaccinated, especially if you are breastfeeding? Well, previously, lactating mothers have not been included in the vaccine trials. As such, researchers did not study the risks. With these recent studies, there came more understanding about vaccines and the transfer of antibodies through breastmilk.
