Breast Milk of Vaccinated Mothers Contains Antibodies Against COVID-19? Read Full News in Detail
Breastfeeding mothers who are vaccinated against COVID-19 may be able to pass along protection to their babies as, according to a recent study published from the University of Florida, antibodies passed through breast milk could prove beneficial to babies, researchers said, but further study is needed to determine their impact.
“A lot of moms, pregnant women, are afraid to get vaccinated. They want to do what’s best for their babies,” said Dr. Josef Neu, a co-author of the study and professor in the UF College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Division of Neonatology. “This is something that we wanted to know whether it may actually provide some benefit.”
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“Milk is a dynamic substance. So in other words, what the baby and the mom (are) exposed to in the environment, there are changes in the milk that correspond to these environmental conditions,” Neu said. “And these can then specifically help the baby.”
“Babies are born with their immune systems not fully developed,” Joseph Larkin III, a senior author of the study and associate professor in the UF Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, explained. “They are too young to get the COVID-19 vaccine and cannot protect themselves. Breast milk, however, is like a helpful toolbox that can be altered to potentially improve that vulnerability.”
“We saw a robust antibody response in blood and breast milk after the second dose — about a hundred-fold increase compared with levels before vaccination,” notes doctoral student and co-author Lauren Stafford. Antibody levels among vaccinated mothers were also higher than those recorded among people who had previously been infected with the virus. That mothers pass on the protective benefits of vaccinations to their children is nothing new.
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It has also been observed that antibody levels among vaccinated mothers are higher than those recorded among people who had previously been infected by the virus.
“Typically, expectant mothers are vaccinated against whooping cough and flu because these can be serious illnesses for infants. Babies can also catch COVID-19, so routine vaccination of mothers against the virus could be something we see in the future,” adds co-author, Dr. Vivian Valcarce, a resident in the UF College of Medicine’s department of pediatrics, division of neonatology.
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