COVID-19 and Breastfeeding

Abstract

Background and Aim: In the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been many concerns about the transmission of the virus from the mother to the infant. This is more important due to the need for the management of breastfeeding. This study aims to review the latest studies on breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods & Materials: This is a review study on articles about breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic published from December 2019 to May 2020. The search was conducted in SID, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Ovid, and MagIran databases using the keywords:New coronavirus, COVID-19, breast milk, and breastfeeding Ethical Considerations: All ethical principles in writing this article have been observed according to the instructions of the National Ethics Committee and the COPE regulations. Results: So far, there is no evidence of COVID-19 virus in breast milk or its transmission through breastfeeding. All mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should continue to breastfeed their infants in accordance with the hygiene and respiratory precautions. Conclusion: Breastfeeding protects the baby against infectious diseases. Given that the studies reported the absence of COVID-19 virus in breast milk are very limited, this study can help mothers manage breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since there are still many unknowns of this emerging disease, more studies are needed on managing breastfeeding in this pandemic.