Corona-affected mother can breastfeed child: Expert

Vijayawada: Breast milk contains antibodies 2,000 times more than the antibodies in the blood which makes it safe for the child, said noted paediatrician Dr Sridevi while addressing the online health education programme at Vasavya Nursing Home here with Dr G Samaram in the chair on Saturday.

The pediatrician said that the Covid-affected mother should take precautions before breastfeeding the child like thoroughly cleaning the breasts, hands and wearing a mask while breastfeeding. Once the breastfeeding is over, the child should be handed over to a coronavirus-free person.

If precautions are taken the spread of coronavirus to the child can be avoided. The breast milk provides plenty of immunity to the child and protects it from other diseases. By feeding breast milk to the child the mother is also benefited with good health.

The breastfeeding mother would be protected from diseases like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, anemia, osteoporosis, obesity and others. The bleeding after the delivery would be arrested if the child is breastfed immediately after delivery.

Referring to the importance of breastfeeding, the doctor said that the child should be compulsorily breastfed for six months and it would be better if it was continued for two years. Breast milk could be given to the child as long as it takes.

The mother should try to feed breast milk in the first two days after delivery though there was sufficient production. The mother milk in the early days contains colostrums and others which would be very good for the child.

The doctor said that some children might be affected by jaundice during the delivery. Still the breast milk should be fed to them. She said that it is good to breastfeed the child even if it was suffering from dysentery. Breastfeeding should also be given whenever the child cries. It is not true that the child should not be breastfed during the night time.

At times, the milk would not pass through the pipes in the breasts. The mother should massage the breasts towards nipples to make it easy flow. In case of working mothers, they could send breast milk from the office to home. She said that it was not true that breastfeeding would destroy the physique of the mother. Dr Maru proposed a vote of thanks.