COVID-infected mothers separated from their babies affects breastfeeding outcomes

New Rochelle, NY, February 10, 2021–It may be safe for COVID-infected mothers to maintain contact with their babies. Keeping them apart can cause maternal distress and have a negative effect on exclusive breastfeeding later in infancy, according to The COVID Mothers Study published in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine. Click here to read the article now.

In this worldwide study, infants who did not directly breastfeed, experience skin-to-skin care, or who did not room-in within arms’ reach of their mothers were less likely to be exclusively breastfed in the first 3 months of life. Nearly 60% of mothers who experienced separation reported feeling very distressed, and 78% reported at least moderate distress. Nearly 1/3 of separated mothers (29%) were unable to breastfeed once reunited with their infants, despite trying.

“Our research contributes to the emerging evidence that skin-to-skin care, rooming-in within arms’ reach, and direct breastfeeding may be safe for mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2,” said Melissa Bartick, MD, Mount Auburn Hospital, and coauthors.

Arthur I. Eidelman, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Breastfeeding Medicine, states: “This report strengthens the recommendation that breastfeeding should be continued to be encouraged and supported in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic and that direct breastfeeding is indicated for mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2.”

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Breastfeeding Medicine, the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, is an authoritative, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal published 10 times per year in print and online. The Journal publishes original scientific papers, reviews, and case studies on a broad spectrum of topics in lactation medicine. It presents evidence-based research advances and explores the immediate and long-term outcomes of breastfeeding, including the epidemiologic, physiologic, and psychological benefits of breastfeeding. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Breastfeeding Medicine website.

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is a worldwide organization of medical doctors dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding. Our mission is to unite members of the various medical specialties with this common purpose. For more than 20 years, ABM has been bringing doctors together to provide evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing breastfeeding across the globe. A vast body of research has demonstrated significant nutritional, physiological, and psychological benefits for both mothers and children that last well beyond infancy. But while breastfeeding is the foundation of a lifetime of health and well-being, clinical practice lags behind scientific evidence. By building on our legacy of research into this field and sharing it with the broader medical community, we can overcome barriers, influence health policies, and change behaviors.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research. A complete list of the firm’s 90 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.