Can I breastfeed with Coronavirus/Covid-19?

Coronavirus & Babies:
Pregnancy, Breast/Bottle & Formula Prep

Can coronavirus pass from me to my baby while pregnant?

According to the United States’ Center for Disease Control, pregnant people may be more susceptible to Covid-19 and should take precautions to avoid becoming infected. While preterm births and low birth weights have been associated with other respiratory viruses, there is not enough information about birth outcomes directly related to the Covid-19 virus. Also, while it is not known if Covid-19 can be passed on to a baby during pregnancy, in the few cases documented, no babies have tested positive for coronavirus from exposure during gestation.

Can I breastfeed with Coronavirus/Covid-19?

According to the UNICEF, breastfeeding while you or your baby are ill with coronavirus is safe. The United States’ Center for Disease Control reports that no transmission of the virus has been found in breastmilk. While a parent and baby are in close enough contact for any virus to be shared, babies who are breastmilk fed are afforded the nursing parents antibodies to most illness via the milk.

What about safe bottle-feeding during this time?

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Resources:

To read more about COVID-19, the pregnancy, infant-feeding season, and parenting through the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the websites of these authorities on health and breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine:
https://www.bfmed.org/abm-statement-coronavirus

US Center for Disease Control:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnancy-faq.html

Formula-Feeding

US Center for Disease Control:
https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/disasters-infant-feeding/index.html

World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/PIF_Bottle_en.pdf

https://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/powdered-infant-formula/en/
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Parenting

UNICEF:
​https://www.unicef.org/stories/novel-coronavirus-outbreak-what-parents-should-know
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