So far, we know that mothers who breastfeed their babies and who had received the coronavirus vaccine, protect their children passively through breastfeeding.
But while previous studies had proven the presence of antibodies in the breast milk of vaccinated mothers, this new research is the first to detect them in the feces of breastfed babies .
The study
Published in the journal ‘ Obstetrics & Gynecology ‘, this new research measured the immune response to the mRNA vaccine against Covid in the breast milk of mothers and the feces of their babies .
To do this, they took several samples of breast milk: before and after the mothers received the vaccine, two to three weeks after receiving the first dose and three weeks after receiving the second dose. In addition to this, blood samples were taken from the mothers after three weeks of receiving each dose of the vaccine and stool samples were collected from the babies 21 days after the mothers received both doses.
According to the team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the United States, antibodies were found that neutralized the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, as well as four variants, in addition to a significant increase in cytokine levels that showed the immune response in breast milk samples.
On the other hand, regarding stool samples from infants and children, IgG anti-RBD and IgA anti-RBD antibodies were detected in 33% and 30% of them, respectively. Kathleen Arcaro, one of the authors of the study, explains that the babies of women who had more side effects after receiving the vaccine showed a greater amount of antibodies : “They may have felt bad, but that was a benefit for their baby “, Explain.
On the other hand, Vignesh Narayanaswamy, lead author of the study, mentions that this is the first investigation that detects the presence of antibodies against Covid in the stool samples of the babies of vaccinated mothers:
” This is really important because women want to know if their babies have these antibodies, and our study shows that the antibodies are transferred through breast milk. Providing this compelling evidence is a motivation for women to continue breastfeeding after receiving the vaccine, “he says.
Another fact of the study that is certainly worth commenting is that the antibodies were detected in the feces of children regardless of their age : from babies less than two months old, up to 23 months.
Via | Infosalus
In Babies and more | Breast milk of women vaccinated with Astrazeneca, Pfizer and Moderna contains antibodies against Covid-19
