TY - JOUR
T1 - Mistakes from the HIV pandemic should inform the COVID-19 response for maternal and newborn care
AU - Gribble, Karleen
AU - Mathisen, Roger
AU - Ververs, Mija Tesse
AU - Coutsoudis, Anna
N1 - Funding Information:
This commentary was supported in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (PI: Lapping; Grant Number OPP50838). The funding organisation had no role in the writing of this commentary. The views and opinions set out in this article represent those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the position of the funder.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s).
PY - 2020/7/25
Y1 - 2020/7/25
N2 - Background: In an effort to prevent infants being infected with SARS-CoV-2, some governments, professional organisations, and health facilities are instituting policies that isolate newborns from their mothers and otherwise prevent or impede breastfeeding. Weighing of risks is necessary in policy development: Such policies are risky as was shown in the early response to the HIV pandemic where efforts to prevent mother to child transmission by replacing breastfeeding with infant formula feeding ultimately resulted in more infant deaths. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of maternal SARS-CoV-2 transmission needs to be weighed against the protection skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding affords infants. Conclusion: Policy makers and practitioners need to learn from the mistakes of the HIV pandemic and not undermine breastfeeding in the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that in order to maximise infant health and wellbeing, COVID-19 policies should support skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding.
AB - Background: In an effort to prevent infants being infected with SARS-CoV-2, some governments, professional organisations, and health facilities are instituting policies that isolate newborns from their mothers and otherwise prevent or impede breastfeeding. Weighing of risks is necessary in policy development: Such policies are risky as was shown in the early response to the HIV pandemic where efforts to prevent mother to child transmission by replacing breastfeeding with infant formula feeding ultimately resulted in more infant deaths. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of maternal SARS-CoV-2 transmission needs to be weighed against the protection skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding affords infants. Conclusion: Policy makers and practitioners need to learn from the mistakes of the HIV pandemic and not undermine breastfeeding in the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that in order to maximise infant health and wellbeing, COVID-19 policies should support skin-to-skin contact, maternal proximity, and breastfeeding.
KW - COVID-19
KW - HIV
KW - Infant and young child feeding in emergencies
KW - Policy development
KW - Prevention of mother-to-child-transmission
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U2 - 10.1186/s13006-020-00306-8
DO - 10.1186/s13006-020-00306-8
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32711567
AN - SCOPUS:85088624938
SN - 1746-4358
VL - 15
JO - International Breastfeeding Journal
JF - International Breastfeeding Journal
IS - 1
M1 - 67
ER -