Don't Worry, COVID-19 Positive Mothers Can Breastfeed Their Babies

Director of Public Nutrition Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Dhian Proboyekti Dipo/antara

JAKARTA - Director of Community Nutrition at the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Dhian Proboyekti Dipo said mothers who were positive for COVID-19 were allowed to continue breastfeeding and provide exclusive breast milk (ASI) for their babies.

"In a situation like the current COVID-19 pandemic, the recommendation is that mothers with COVID-19 can continue to breastfeed and give breast milk to their babies," he said at an online event "Breastfeeding Strategic Steps to Protect and Healthy Mothers and Children" in Jakarta, reported by the Jakarta Post. Between, Thursday, August 5th.

He said the reason that mothers who were positive for COVID-19 were allowed to continue breastfeeding was that there was no evidence or fact that breast milk given by mothers could transmit the virus to their babies.

“A study conducted in Wuhan, China in 2019, did not find SARS-CoV-2 in the breast milk of mothers who had confirmed COVID-19. This means that breastfeeding must still be carried out," he said.

He explained that breastfeeding should still be carried out provided the mother always applies the protocol to prevent infection transmission.

The protocol for preventing infection transmission in question, said Dhian Proboyekti Dipo, is to always use a mask when in contact with the baby and when breastfeeding, wash hands as often as possible and routinely clean the surfaces of the house that are touched or disinfected. Meanwhile, lactation counselor Dr Ameetha Drupadi also gave advice to All mothers who are still breastfeeding should vaccinate themselves and their babies from the spread of COVID-19.

"Now for the conditions during this pandemic, breastfeeding mothers must have been given the COVID-19 vaccine. To protect mothers from COVID-19, mothers can breastfeed safely," he said.

He explained that giving vaccines to mothers who are breastfeeding does not have a risk that can have a good impact on babies who drink exclusive breast milk or babies who receive expressed breast milk. But it can produce antibodies that can protect them from transmitting the virus.

“Because the mother's antibodies after vaccination will be passed through breast milk to protect the baby. So giving the mother the COVID-19 vaccine is very important to protect the mother. In order to be able to provide and breastfeed babies until the age of 2 years, the baby's growth and development will be optimal," said Ameetha Drupadi.