Both the infection and the coronavirus vaccination of breastfeeding women lead to the production of antibodies against the virus in breast milk.
According to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics and conducted at the University of Rochester in the United States, the breast milk of women who had been diagnosed with coronavirus and the breast milk of women who had been vaccinated against the coronavirus contained antibodies that could counteract the virus. The Pediatrician and Professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the Laboratory of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vicky Benetou summarizes this data.
Specifically, the study included 47 breastfeeding women with a history of coronavirus infection in the previous 14 days and 30 breastfeeding women after vaccination with mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) without a history of coronavirus disease. All breastfeeding mothers were monitored for 90 days (after the diagnosis of the disease the first group and after the 2nd dose of the vaccine the second group) during which they gave samples of breast milk, at specified times, for the measurement of antibodies.
Antibodies to the coronavirus were found in breast milk in both groups of breastfeeding women. However, some differences were observed between the two groups, both in the type and amount of antibodies, and in the time of onset and duration. Infection with the virus led to the faster production of mainly IgA antibodies in breast milk which in a large percentage of women were detected 90 days after infection, while vaccination led to the largest and most stable production of mainly IgG antibodies, the amount of which began to decrease 90 days after the 2nd dose of the vaccine. The neutralizing ability of breast milk, attributed to the combination of IgA and IgG antibodies, was found in both groups of women, with a slightly greater neutralizing ability being observed in the breast milk of diseased mothers than those who were vaccinated. The virus itself was not detected in any of the breast milk samples.
The authors conclude that both coronavirus infection and vaccination against the virus lead to the production of coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies that are transmitted to breast milk and offer protection to breastfed infants and an advantage over non-breastfed infants.
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