For mothers who still need to take care of their little ones and are concerned about the spread of COVID-19, as well as many mothers who have just given birth and are breastfeeding, there may be worries about the possibility of transmitting the virus to their babies. Today, Phyathai 2 Hospital will help ease these concerns and provide ways to reduce the risk for all mothers.
In fact, the chance of infection from mother to child mostly occurs through droplets such as mucus, saliva, coughing, sneezing, or hands that have touched the virus and then touch the baby. Therefore, mothers who have to go out to work and then return home to care for their babies should first take a shower, change clothes, and wear a mask. Before touching the baby, hands must be washed every time, and other cleanliness within the home should be maintained regularly.
Another important way to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to the baby is to pump breast milk and feed the baby separately without close contact, maintaining distance from the baby. However, if the mother is at risk and truly worried, they should have separate sleeping arrangements, keeping at least 1-2 meters apart, and someone else may need to feed and take care of the baby in case the mother has to go out to work or has been in a risky area.
From past cases, there have been patients infected with COVID-19 who did not transmit the virus to their babies. In cases where the mother is infected with COVID-19 and is about to give birth, doctors will offer options to the mother: either to breastfeed directly or to pump milk and have someone close feed the baby instead. If the mother chooses to breastfeed directly, doctors will advise the mother to wear a mask and may have to accept the risk of transmitting the virus to the baby. However, there have been no reports of transmission through breast milk to the baby.
Dr. Renuka Charaspongpisut
Specialist in Pediatric Neurology
Child and Adolescent Health Center, Phyathai 2 Hospital
