Every drop of breast milk is a vaccine for your baby. During the coronavirus pandemic, the best food for your baby is breast milk. Breastfeeding in hospital at birth:
- It starts immediately after skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby has been established. Because breast milk contains immune factors, it strengthens the baby's immune system and protects the baby from various diseases.
- If you suspect at the start that you have the coronavirus, check for it with the appropriate COVID test.
- The coronavirus is never passed to the baby through breast milk, even if the mother has COVID-19.
If your COVID test is positive: you can stay with your baby 24 hours a day. Each time you breastfeed or have contact with your baby, you must wash your hands thoroughly and wear a mask. As well as passing on immunity through breast milk, skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby boosts your baby's immunity and protects the baby against disease. Newborns and infants must never wear masks.
If the mother has coronavirus and is unable to breastfeed or express her milk, once her symptoms have improved she can go to the relevant breastfeeding counselling centre to continue and resume breastfeeding.
If your baby tests positive for coronavirus, continuing to breastfeed is very important, and breastfeeding must not be stopped under any circumstances.
Breast milk is the best antibody against the coronavirus. COVID-19 is not passed to the baby through breast milk.
Prepared and compiled by: Homa Yektapour – Education Unit
Source: Ministry of Health guidelines, 1400 (Iranian calendar)
Document code: NO-BR-17