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Ecstatic to share the first publication from our #breastfeeding #COVID19 studies
https://mbio.asm.org/content/12/1/e03192-20
Important key points
#humanmilk during #COVID19:
is unlikely to contain #SARSCoV2
contains anti-SARSCoV2 #antibodies
neutralizes #SARSCoV2 infectivity
https://mbio.asm.org/content/12/1/e03192-20
Important key points #humanmilk during #COVID19:
is unlikely to contain #SARSCoV2contains anti-SARSCoV2 #antibodies neutralizes #SARSCoV2 infectivity
Unfortunately at the onset of the pandemic there were a lot of unknowns about COVID & breastfeeding, with much of the focus at the time on the risk of transmission from mother to child.
We set out to evaluate both the risks AND benefits of human milk during maternal COVID-19.
We set out to evaluate both the risks AND benefits of human milk during maternal COVID-19.
To do this, we collected milk samples from 18 women around the time of their COVID-19 diagnosis
We then analyzed the milk for #SARSCoV2 and antibodies targeting SARSCoV2 and other human CoV. We also tested the ability of the same milk samples to neutralize #SARSCoV2 infectivity
We then analyzed the milk for #SARSCoV2 and antibodies targeting SARSCoV2 and other human CoV. We also tested the ability of the same milk samples to neutralize #SARSCoV2 infectivity
We found NO evidence of #SARSCoV2 in milk via RT-qPCR (w/ all samples extracted and tested independently in two labs).
Interestingly, despite finding no evidence in milk, we did detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA on a fraction of breast skin swabs collected from the same women, which may help to explain prior reports of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in some milk samples.
However, and in contrast, we did detect IgA and IgG antibodies in >75% of women. Including IgA specific to the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain (RBD), one of the key components used by the virus infect the host.
Perhaps most importantly, using a live #SARSCoV2 microneutralization assay, we found that most milk samples were able to neutralize #SARSCoV2 infectivity
Taken together, our findings significantly add to and complement some of the great work already done on this topic by other awesome researchers, such as these:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2769825 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220309329
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2769825 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220309329
All of these studies provide strong lines of evidence that the benefits of #humanmilk outweigh the risk of transmission AND support recommendations that encourage mothers with COVID to initiate/continue to breastfeed https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/breastfeeding-and-covid-19
Last, but not least, this work was made possible through the combined efforts of an amazing team @SeppoAntti @Williams_JanetE @Nutr_Prof @MandyBelfort_MD @GCHAllergyChief @BeatriceCaffe @AlexGogel and many others from @uidaho @urochestermed @WSUPullman @BrighamWomens @harvardmed
