Breast milk study highlights exciting new avenues for Covid research
Breast milk from vaccinated mothers contains vital antibodies which could potentially protect infants against Covid-19, a new
study has found.
The University of Florida hopes their research will encourage mothers to get the vaccine.
The study analysed the breast milk of 21 mothers who worked in the care industry, with the test itself running from December 2020 until March the following year. The vaccines included in the test were Pfizer and Moderna.
The breast milk and blood of the mothers were then tested before vaccination, following the first shot and then after the final jab. What scientists found was incredible.
Following the second dose, there was a 100-fold increase in immunoglobulin A antibodies, which are vital in building immunity against infection.
The study showed that the Pfizer vaccine was more efficient at producing antibodies in breast milk but researchers believe more study is needed to understand the breadth of this margin.
Dr Josef Neu, study co-author and professor in the UF College of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, said: "A lot of mums, pregnant women, are afraid to get vaccinated. They want to do what's best for their babies.
"This is something that we wanted to know, whether it may actually provide some benefit".
Senior study author Dr Joseph Larkin III said that babies are born without fully developed immune systems, which puts them at higher risk from various diseases and viruses. But he continues to say that breast milk can help strengthen immunity against potential infections.
He refers to milk as a "dynamic substance" and continues to say that breast milk actually responds to what baby and mum are exposed to in their everyday environments.
Though the effectiveness of antibody milk has not yet been tested, the theory opens up new doors to immunise infants against both Covid and future infections.
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