New mothers who survive Covid-19 can pass on their antibodies to their babies through their breastmilk for up to 10 months. An American study saw researchers collect milk donated by 75 women who had recovered from the virus and screened them for the virus-fighting proteins. They found 88 per cent of them tested positive for an antibody that blocks the virus from causing infection in the respiratory tract.
Further lab results showed that the majority of Covid-positive milk samples neutralised the virus, suggesting breastfed children could at least get partial protection. Scientists from New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital said further work is being done to see if immunity can be passed on via breast milk after vaccination.
Researchers in the latest study found mothers produced a Covid antibody called immunoglobin A, consistently over time. They compared milk samples taken from 28 women, one at four to six weeks after Covid infection and the other at four to 10 months after. The study found women demonstrated “significant” levels of the antibodies over this period.
Immunoglobin A is a special type of antibody found in human secretions, such as breast milk, and primarily offers protection through the linings of the airways and digestive system. It differs from the immunoglobulin G, a type of antibody found mainly in blood and triggered by an infection or vaccination.
Dr Rebecca Powell presented the research findings at the Global Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium on 21 September. She said, “It could be an incredible therapy, because secretory IgA is meant to be in these mucosal areas, such as the lining of the respiratory tract, and it survives and functions very well there. You could imagine if it was used in a nebuliser-type treatment, it might be very effective during that window where the person has gotten quite sick, but they’re not yet at the point of [being admitted to intensive care].”
Dr Ashley Roman, an obstetrician at NYU and one of the lead authors said, “If babies could be born with antibodies, it may protect them in the first months of their lives, when they are most vulnerable.”
