Guidance on breastfeeding during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

<jats:p>SUMMARY OBJECTIVE These recommendations aim to provide guidance on breastfeeding for mothers with suspected or confirmed Covid-19. METHODS We performed a review of the recent medical literature on breastfeeding mothers with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, focusing on the neonatal period. RESULTS We analyzed 20 recent publications on breastfeeding, Covid-19, and its transmission through breastmilk. We presented possible options for breastfeeding and their consequences for the mother and the child. CONCLUSION All maternal decisions in relation to breastfeeding are justifiable since the infection by Covid-19 is still poorly known. However, puerperal women and their families must be very well informed to make a conscious choice based on the information available in the literature so far.</jats:p>

Maternal and Infant Outcomes Associated with Maternity Practices Related to COVID-19: The COVID Mothers Study

“…7 Other countries, particularly in Europe and Latin America, recommended maternity care practices during the pandemic that were consistent with WHO/UNICEF pandemic guidelines with respect to breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care, and rooming-in. 5,6,[12][13][14][15][16][17] Although there have been several commentaries on the importance of keeping mothers and infants together and supporting breastfeeding practices, [18][19][20][21] there have been little published data on Baby-Friendly practices such as uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, direct breastfeeding, or rooming-in with the infant within arms' reach during the pandemic, as related to viral transmission. We were specifically interested in testing the infant being within arms' reach, which allows for easier feeding and recognition of hunger cues, 1 as opposed to being in the same room but out of reach, for example, 2 m away.…”

Aleitamento materno durante a pandemia da COVID-19: Revisão integrativa

“…Para isso, a mãe deve seguir alguns cuidados estabelecidos, como: a lavagem das mãos; o uso de máscara durante a amamentação; caso a mulher queira extrair o leite, deve ser feita a higienização da bombinha em cada uso; antes e após o contato com o bebê, limpar e desinfetar minuciosamente todas as superfícies tocadas, entre outros cuidados. Procedimentos que realizados de maneira correta conseguem minimizar a exposição do bebê ao vírus COVID-19 (Calil, et al, 2020;Pereira, et al, 2020).…”

“…Com isso, a mãe toma o lugar de fala e terá que optar por amamentar ou não o RN. Dessa maneira, ela deverá ser acompanhada por um profissional da saúde devidamente capacitado que irá apoia-la seja qual for sua decisão (Calil, Krebs & Carvalho, 2020).…”

“…No Brasil, há mais de 220 Bancos de Leite disponíveis para diversas situações, onde o RN não recebe o leite materno (Calil, Krebs & Carvalho, 2020).…”

“…Segundo Calil, et al (2020) mães diagnosticadas com COVID-19 acabam colonizando seus filhos. E, além disso, o leite materno passa a serem potencialmente ricos em anticorpos protetores.…”