Is there a proven covid immunity in breast milk?

[Anonymous]

Provided the nursing mother is vaccinated. I’m not finding definite proof online. My baby is 14 months and still nursing three to four times a day. I could keep going as I will continue to work from home but weaned my older two kids before 18 months because I felt it would be easier for them (and it was easy). But I’ll keep going with my youngest if she’s getting any immunity and risk a more emotional weaning at two or three.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

No. There won’t be studies to answer this definitively for you for a long time, if ever. Ask your OB - they know the science and can make an educated guess.

[Anonymous]

I’m in exactly the same boat, OP, with a 15 month old and I go back and forth on when to wean just because of this. They know there are covid antibodies in our breast milk but they do not know if that provides the baby with any immunity. I’m truly neutral on the act of nursing - I don’t hate it and don’t love it - and don’t feel tied down by it at this point. Today I am leaning toward continuing for as long as possible on the chance it’s better for my baby.

[Anonymous]

I was in the same boat at my daughter's 12 month appointment and asked our pediatrician. She said since she needed to draw blood anyway for that appointment, she would test her for covid antibodies, to see if any was passing through my milk to her. There were none. So our ped said go ahead and continue breastfeeding if you want, but don't do it just for that reason if you'd otherwise like to quit. I still bf in the morning and before bed, but understanding it's really just for comfort at this point.

[Anonymous]

I was in the same boat and weaned and I really love it. I feel like I have my body back finally.

[Anonymous]

This is completely anecdotal but I got the vaccine earlier than my husband because of my job. I was breastfeeding our 3 month old at the time. My husband came down with covid the morning of his vaccine appointment (ugh). Despite lots of contact with our daughter before becoming symptomatic, she and I never got covid (we were each tested twice and never developed any symptoms).

That said, I still weaned at 6 months. I hated breastfeeding.

[Anonymous]

No, there isn’t any solid research.

The research is also weak on immunity through breast milk for other illnesses as well.

This is not to say there aren’t great benefits to breastfeeding a baby. But the research just isn’t clear— and especially not clear enough to continue nursing if you don’t want to nurse.

[Anonymous]

Covid is less dangerous to kids than flu. There are enough things to stress about, let this one go.

[Anonymous]

There are two different questions here: do the antibodies transfer via breastmilk, and if so, does that provide immunity to the baby? This researcher (https://www.mountsinai.org/profiles/rebecca-lr-powell) is doing COVID breastmilk studies. Here's one you may want to read: https://plu.mx/mtsinai/a/0-XdDSQqqLez2w_MpnNX-YAIQ7PHldt7esNHWXI3g-s