Should COVID positive mothers stay away from babies? Experts explain

According to child health specialists, staying away from the newborns or maintaining a distance from the infants during the pandemic is not a good idea. They say that only breast milk can provide a baby with the required immunity to fight against COVID-19 as well as other infections.

Also read: Pregnancy during lockdown: How COVID-19 has affected new mothers

Here’s what experts have to say:

What is kangaroo mother care?

The term ‘Kangaroo mother care’ is similar to how the Kangaroos take care of their newborns. It refers to a special kind of care that is provided to a newborn. It involves – prolonged skin-to-skin contact of the baby with his/her mother. It is highly recommended for premature babies or who are underweight (weighing less than 2 kilos) at birth.

The Kangaroo care also recommends promotion of breast-milk feeding. It provides the requisite immunity that a child requires to fight against infections, including COVID-19, after birth, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Also read: Follow these 4 tips before getting your COVID vaccination

Why shouldn’t the newborns be separated from their mothers during COVID?

According to a research report published on the WHO website, “A study published in the Lancet EclinicalMedicine highlights the critical importance of ensuring newborn babies have close contact with parents after birth, especially for those born too small (at low birthweight) or too soon (preterm).”

The report further reads, “However, in many countries, if COVID-19 infections are confirmed or suspected, newborn babies are being routinely separated from their mothers, putting them at higher risk of death and lifelong health complications.”

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“WHO advises that mothers should continue to share a room with their babies from birth and be able to breastfeed and practice skin-to-skin contact — even when COVID-19 infections are suspected or confirmed — and should be supported to ensure appropriate infection prevention practices,” the report further states.

Moreover, WHO advised that breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care are the most cost-effective ways to protect small and sick newborns. Notably, many lives can be saved if these two methods are implemented for newborns, even during COVID.

What steps should be followed by COVID positive mothers?

• Wash hands before and after touching the infant. The same should be followed while handling the feeding equipment.

• Avoid using a pump shared by others.

• Wear a mask or protective gear during breastfeeding and pumping.

• Clean pump parts after each use.

Also read: Covaxin 77.8% effective in phase 3 trial: Sources

How severe is the risk of newborns contracting COVID from positive mothers?

As per the neonatal experts, the risk of transferring infection from a COVID positive mother to a baby is “extremely rare”. The doctors further explained that breastfeeding and kangaroo care should not be discontinued at any cost because the risk of the baby contracting other life-threatening infections is much higher than COVID.

Also read: Delta plus COVID variant found in 3 states in India. What we know so far

“It is only during the second wave in 2021 that we came across four rare cases where babies tested COVID positive after birth (sample collected within 24 hours). In all other cases, babies were negative despite their mothers being positive. The four babies who tested positive after birth also recovered and tested negative within few days because we did not stop their breastfeeding,” a report quoted Dr Kamaldeep Arora, associate professor, department of neonatology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana as saying.

Dr Arora added that even if the mother is COVID positive, risk of transmission to the baby is rare, so they should not be separated at all. The mother should just follow COVID-appropriate behavior while handling the baby. “We haven’t come across any case yet in which any newborn died of COVID,” Dr Arora said.