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. 2022 Oct;112(S8):S787-S796.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2022.307023.

Breast Milk Feeding of Infants at Birth Among People With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pregnancy: SET-NET, 5 States, March 29, 2020-December 31, 2020

Elizabeth L Lewis  1 , Ashley N Smoots  1 , Kate R Woodworth  1 , Emily O'Malley Olsen  1 , Nicole M Roth  1 , Mahsa Yazdy  1 , Hanna Shephard  1 , Lindsey Sizemore  1 , Heather Wingate  1 , Paula Dzimira  1 , Bethany Reynolds  1 , Mamie Lush  1 , Erika L Fuchs  1 , Kristen Ojo  1 , Sam Siebman  1 , Aron J Hall  1 , Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner  1 , Cria Perrine  1 , Jason Hsia  1 , Sascha Ellington  1 , Van T Tong  1 , Suzanne M Gilboa  1
Affiliations

Breast Milk Feeding of Infants at Birth Among People With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pregnancy: SET-NET, 5 States, March 29, 2020-December 31, 2020

Elizabeth L Lewis et al. Am J Public Health. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives. To describe prevalence of breast milk feeding among people with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy and examine associations between breast milk feeding, timing of maternal infection before delivery, and rooming-in status during delivery hospitalization. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee of whether people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy in 2020 initiated breast milk feeding at birth. Results. Among 11 114 (weighted number) people with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, 86.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 82.4%, 87.6%) initiated breast milk feeding during birth hospitalization. People with infection within 14 days before delivery had significantly lower prevalence of breast milk feeding (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.83, 0.94) than did those with infection at least 14 days before delivery. When stratified by rooming-in status, the association between timing of infection and breast milk feeding remained only among infants who did not room in with their mother (APR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.68, 0.88). Conclusions. Pregnant and postpartum people with SARS-CoV-2 infection should have access to lactation support and be advised about the importance of breast milk feeding and how to safely feed their infants in the same room. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S8):S787-S796. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307023).

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Percentage of (a) Breast Milk Feeding and (b) Rooming-in Status During Delivery Hospitalization Among People With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy by Month of Birth and Timing of Maternal Infection Before Delivery: 5 US States, Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network, April 1, 2020–December 31, 2020 Note. SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The states studied were Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. March 2020 data are not reported because of small numbers. Whiskers indicate 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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