In an effort to prevent infants being infected with SARS-CoV-2, some governments, professional organizations and health facilities are instituting policies that isolate newborns from their mothers and otherwise prevent or impede breastfeeding.

A new article published in the International Breastfeeding Journal deemed such policies risky, as was shown in the early response to the HIV pandemic—where efforts to prevent mother to child transmission by replacing breastfeeding with infant formula feeding ultimately resulted in more infant deaths. It was sated that in the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of maternal SARS-CoV-2 transmission needs to be weighed against the protection skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximityand breastfeeding provides to infants.

It was concluded that policy makers and practitioners need to learn from the fallacies committed in the HIV pandemic and not undermine breastfeeding in the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to maximize infant health and wellbeing, COVID-19 policies should support skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity and breastfeeding.

Earlier, thescientific evidence base has warned against hasty dismissal of the evolved benefits of breastfeeding. The global health professional community should be more skeptical of claims about the risks of breastfeeding, even in settings of widespread infectious diseases. The authors emphasized that breastfeeding must not be interrupted because of a fear that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted from mothers to infants during breastfeeding and so harm infants. Countries, professional associations and health facilities should follow the lead of the WHO – taking heed of the experiences of the past, and ensure that in the COVID-19 response, to not undermine breastfeeding.

Source: International Breastfeeding Journal. 2020 Jul 25;15(1):67.doi: 10.1186/s13006-020-00306-8.