New study reveals another benefit of COVID vaccines for pregnant women

The breast milk of women who have been vaccinated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines contains a significant amount of antibodies that can help protect babies, according to a new study.

While there are still many questions about the protection these antibodies offer infants – and how long that protection lasts – the researchers say the findings provide another compelling reason for women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or who are breastfeeding to be vaccinated.

“When babies are born, they have a relatively immature system. It develops over time. Thus, the main protections babies receive come from mothers. So if mom produces these antibodies present in breast milk, it is possible that this protection is transferred to her baby, ”Joseph Larkin III, lead author of the study and associate professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida, HuffPost reported. “This is especially important because babies cannot be vaccinated at this time.”

The study, published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine this week, was conducted last winter when Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines first became available to healthcare workers. As such, it was small – limited to just 21 breastfeeding healthcare workers at the time – and did not include the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, although Larkin told HuffPost that research into this vaccine was underway. Classes.

The breast milk of the women was analyzed before the vaccination, after the first dose and after the second dose, and after each injection the anti-coronavirus antibodies in the breast milk of the women increased.

Once the women were fully vaccinated, their levels of anti-coronavirus antibodies increased by about 100-fold, according to the new study. This is a higher level of antibodies than what tends to occur when women are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself.

Breastfeeding is a challenge, of course, and Larkin told HuffPost he didn’t want his findings to put unnecessary pressure on women who might have difficulty or be unable to breastfeed. While most mothers in the United States now begin to breastfeed, less than 60% still do at six months, and the pressure of breastfeeding can take a toll on women’s mental health.

“As a father of five, I understand – from an outside perspective – some of the challenges of breastfeeding, and I respect that. For moms who cannot breastfeed, for many reasons, they should not be discouraged because just by being vaccinated, she offers a layer of protection for her baby, ”he said.

Indeed, studies have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can travel through the placenta.

In addition, when mothers and others who spend time with unvaccinated babies get vaccinated themselves, they effectively “cocoon” those babies. This can therefore be an important preventive measure in addition to measures such as masking and time limitation in indoor public places.

Despite the benefits of vaccination for pregnant and lactating women, their vaccination rates remain low. Less than a quarter of pregnant women in the United States have received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Yet groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said it is “more urgent than ever” to vaccinate people who are trying to conceive and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Unvaccinated pregnant women who contract COVID-19 are at much higher risk of serious illness, and hospitals across the country are reporting a slight increase in the number of pregnant patients. A specialist in fetal medicine in hard-hit Alabama told the Daily Beast of the “terrifying” toll that the delta variant puts unvaccinated pregnant women there and said doctors sometimes had to perform caesarean sections. emergency on intubated patients. At the same time, pediatric coronavirus cases are skyrocketing.

Experts hope the growing research showing the benefits of vaccination for women and their babies will prompt women to roll up their sleeves. Young children still cannot be vaccinated, although they are likely to be eligible for vaccination this fall or winter. But kids aged 5 to 11 will likely qualify first, followed by younger ones.

“The idea of ​​trying to protect those who can’t protect themselves is very, very important,” Larkin said.

Experts are still learning more about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but directions may change as scientists find out more about the virus. Please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most recent recommendations.