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Review
. 2022 Jun;26(3):234-241.
doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2022.03.010. Epub 2022 May 9.

Literature Review of Mothers Diagnosed With COVID-19 and the Impact on Breastfeeding Their Newborns

Stacey A Warner, Jessica L Arevalo
Review

Literature Review of Mothers Diagnosed With COVID-19 and the Impact on Breastfeeding Their Newborns

Stacey A Warner et al. Nurs Womens Health. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

In early 2020, newborns were separated from their mothers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the current evidence to determine if the transmission of COVID-19 infection to the neonate increases if newborns are directly breastfed by mothers who are positive for COVID-19 infection. There were 28 studies conducted in seven countries, with 10 of those studies conducted in the United States. In total, 5,123 neonates were born to mothers diagnosed with COVID-19, with 3,872 neonates determined to have been breastfed or provided mixed feeding including breast milk. Overall, 2.35% (91/3,872) of the newborns tested positive, and all recovered from COVID-19 infection. As frontline health care providers, nurses are instrumental in offering support and education on the risks and benefits of breastfeeding for individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; breast milk; breastfeeding; coronavirus; mask; mothers; newborns.

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Figures

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Photo © Jacek_Sopotnicki / istockphoto.com
Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow Diagram for the Literature Search
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Photo © Prostock-Studio / istockphoto.com
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References

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