ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Western Pacific2020
A study of breastfeeding practices, SARS-CoV-2 and its antibodies in the breast milk of mothers confirmed with COVID-19.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Neonatal outcomes and indirect consequences following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy: a systematic review.BMJ open · 2023Pooled it
- Clinical manifestations, risk factors, and maternal and perinatal outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnancy: living systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2020Pooled it
- Safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and lactating women: a comprehensive review.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Review
- Double Jeopardy: The Intersection of COVID-19 and Pregnancy in an Educational Hospital, Northern Iran, Gorgan.Archives of Razi Institute · 2025Article
- Impact of Maternal Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on Immunological Components of Breast Milk.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Prevalence and duration of SARS-CoV-2 fecal shedding in breastfeeding dyads following maternal COVID-19 diagnosis.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Assessment of knowledge and practices of exclusive breastfeeding among rural women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt: a cross sectional study.BMC women's health · 2023Article
- Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers in breastmilk from convalescent and vaccinated mothers.iScience · 2023Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health, early childhood development, and parental practices: a global scoping review.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Breastfeeding vs. breast milk transmission during COVID-19 pandemic, which is more important?Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Review
- A large series of molecular and serological specimens to evaluate mother-to-child SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a prospective study from the Italian Obstetric Surveillance System.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2023Article
- Breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Review
- Detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG in human milk and breastfeeding infant stool 6 months after maternal COVID-19 vaccination.Research square · 2022Article
- Recommendations for breastfeeding during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.International breastfeeding journal · 2022Review
- SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibody detection in breast milk from a prospective multicentre study in Spain.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2022Article
- Association of Human Milk Antibody Induction, Persistence, and Neutralizing Capacity With SARS-CoV-2 Infection vs mRNA Vaccination.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Article
- Nursing care recommendation for pediatric COVID-19 patients in the hospital setting: A brief scoping review.PloS one · 2022Article
- Impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic on Neonatal Nutrition: Focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Current tropical medicine reports · 2022Review
- SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions: Concerns, challenges, management and mitigation strategies-a narrative review.Journal of infection and public health · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe possibility of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission to neonates through breast milk remains unverified.
methodsThis paper presents the interim results of a longitudinal study being carried out in Hubei province. As of 1 April 2020, 24 mothers confirmed with COVID-19, 19 mothers suspected with COVID-19 but Polymerase chain reaction negative, and 21 mothers without COVID-19 and their neonates have been recruited. Telephone follow-up was conducted to collect information on breastfeeding practices. Forty-four breast milk samples were collected from 16 of the 24 mothers with confirmed COVID-19 for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid (RNA) and antibodies (IgM and IgG) testing.
findingsThe average mother-child separation time was 36•7 ± 21•1 days among mothers confirmed with COVID-19, significantly longer than that of the suspected group (16•6 ± 13•1 days) and control group (10•5 ± 8•2 days). Both the COVID-19 confirmed (58•3%) and suspected (52•6%) groups presented significantly lower rates of breastfeeding as compared with the control group (95•2%). All 44 breast milk samples tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. Thirty-eight breast milk samples underwent antibody testing and all tested negative for IgG. Twenty-one breast milk samples from 8 women tested positive for IgM, while the remaining samples from 11 women tested negative.
interpretationConsidering the lack of evidence for SARS-CoV-2 transmission through breast milk, breastfeeding counselling along with appropriate hand hygiene precautions and facemasks should be provided to all pregnant women.
fundingThe study was funded by the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF.
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