Updated 9 September 2020
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References in Italian here
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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, GENERAL GUIDANCE
CURRENT REFERENCES ON BEST PRACTICES IN RELATION TO COVID-19 AND CHILDBIRTH AND BREASTFEEDING
RESEARCH INTO ANTIBODIES TO COVID-19 IN HUMAN MILK
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR HANDLING DONOR MILK
RECOMMENDED SOURCES REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILDBIRTH
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, GENERAL GUIDANCE
World Health Organization, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters,
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
(accessed 16 April 2020)
CURRENT REFERENCES ON BEST PRACTICES IN RELATION TO COVID-19 AND CHILDBIRTH AND BREASTFEEDING
Vega M, Hughes F, Bernstein PS, et al. From the Trenches: Inpatient Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pregnancy, American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM, Volume 2, Issue 3, Supplement, August 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
(accessed 9 September 2020)
Centeno-Tablante E, Medina-Rivera M, Finkelstein JL, et al. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Through Breast Milk and Breastfeeding: a Living Systematic Review, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 28 Aug 2020
https://nyaspubs.
(accessed 9 September 2020)
Patil UP, Maru S, Krishnan P, et al. Newborns of COVID19 Mothers: Short-term Outcomes of Colocating and Breastfeeding from the Pandemic’s Epicenter, Journal of Perinatology, 10 August 2020.>
https://www.nature.com/
(accessed 9 September 2020)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Evaluation and Management Consideration for Neonates At Risk for COVID-19, 3 August 2020,
https://www.cdc.gov/
(accessed 7 September 2020)
World Health Organization, Clinical management of COVID-19, for breastfeeding see pages 41-44, 27 May 2020
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/clinical-management-of-covid-19
(accessed 2 June 2020)
Cecília Tomori, Karleen Gribble, Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist, Mija‐Tesse Ververs, Marielle S. Gross, When Separation is not the Answer: Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants affected by COVID‐19, Maternal and Child Nutrition, 26 May 2020
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mcn.13033
(accessed 2 June 2020)
World Health Organization (WHO), Frequently Asked Questions: Breastfeeding and COVID-19 For health care workers, 28 April 2020,
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/maternal-health/faqs-breastfeeding-and-covid-19.pdf
(accessed 30 April 2020)
World Health Organization (WHO), Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected, 13 March 2020,
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/clinical-management-of-severe-acute-respiratory-infection-when-novel-coronavirus-(ncov)-infection-is-suspected
(accessed 16 April 2020)
World Health Organization (WHO), Q&A on COVID-19 and Breastfeeding, 24 April 2020,
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-and-breastfeeding
(accessed 30 April 2020)
PMNCH and WHO, Breastfeeding and COVID-19 video, 28 May 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJlWAj0ZKjA&feature=youtu.be
(accessed 2 June 2020)
UNICEF, Breastfeeding safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 May 2020,
https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/breastfeeding-safely-during-covid-19-pandemic
(accessed 2 June 2020)
UNICEF and USAID Advancing Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Recommendations When COVID-19 is Suspected or Confirmed, 24 April 2020,
High resolution set of 10 cards: https://www.advancingnutrition.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/IYCF%20in%20Context%20of%20COVID%2019%20Big%20%281%29.pdf
Technical brief: https://us14.campaign-archive.com/?u=fb1d9aabd6c823bef179830e9&id=725280ee31
(accessed 30 April 2020)
UNICEF Global Nutrition Cluster, Global Technical Assistance Mechanism briefing Infant & Young Child Feeding In The Context Of Covid-19, 30 March 2020
https://www.ennonline.net/attachments/3366/IYCF-Programming-in-the-context-of-COVID-19-Brief-2_v1-30-March-2020_-for-distribution.pdf
(accessed 16 April; 2020)
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Coronavirus infection and pregnancy, https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Ad interim indications of the Italian Society of Neonatology endorsed by the Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies, Breastfeeding and Coronavirus Disease‐2019, 3 April 2020
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mcn.13010
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Government of Canada, Pregnancy, childbirth and caring for newborns: Advice for mothers (COVID-19), date modified: 20 April 2020,
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/pregnancy-advise-mothers.html
(accessed 23 April 2020)
Gouvernment de Canada, Grossesse, accouchement et soins des nouveau-nés : conseils à l’intention des mères (COVID-19), date de modification: 20 Avril 2020,
https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique/services/publications/maladies-et-affections/grossesse-conseils-meres.html
(accessed 23 April 2020)
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), Statement on Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), 10 March 2020,
https://www.bfmed.org/abm-statement-coronavirus
(accessed 16 April 2020)
The International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML), ISRHML Activities and Guidance Related to COVID-19,
https://www.isrhml.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3368
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Considerations for Inpatient Obstetric Healthcare Settings, 4 April 2020,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/inpatient-obstetric-healthcare-guidance.html
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html
(accessed 15 April 2020)
Research into antibodies to COVID-19 in human milk
World Health Organization, Breastfeeding and COVID-19, 23 June 2020
https://www.who.int/news-room/
” IgA antibodies with reactivity to the COVID-19 virus have been detected in breastmilk of mothers previously infected with COVID-19 but their strength and durability have not yet been adequately studied to address protection from COVID-19 among breastfed infants.”
(accessed 9 September 2020)
Emerging Microbes & Infections, Volume 9, 2020 – Issue 1, Antibodies in the breast milk of a maternal woman with COVID-19, 18 June 2020
https://www.tandfonline.com/
” A maternal woman was positive for SARS-CoV-2 tested in throat swabs but negative tested in other body fluids, and she had IgG and IgA detected in breast milk. Her infant negative for SARS-CoV-2 at birth had elevated IgG in serum but quickly decayed. These findings suggest that breastfeeding might have the potential benefit to the neonates.”
(accessed 9 September 2020)
medRxiv, Breastmilk; a source of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA antibodies, 21 August 2020
https://www.medrxiv.org/
” Breastmilk of mothers who recovered from COVID-19 contains significant amounts of IgA against SARS-CoV-2, both before and after pasteurization.”
(accessed 9 September 2020)
medRxiv, Evidence of a significant secretory-IgA-dominant SARS-CoV-2 immune response in human milk following recovery from COVID-19, 8 May 2020
https://www.medrxiv.org/
” Overall, these data indicate that there is strong sIgA-dominant SARS-CoV-2 immune response in human milk after infection in the majority of individuals, and that a comprehensive study of this response is highly warranted.”
(accessed 9 September 2020)
Demers-Mathieu V, Dung M, Mathijssen GB, et al. Difference in Levels of SARSCoV-2 S1 and S2 subunits- and nucleocapsid protein-reactive SIgM/IgM, IgG and SIgA/IgA Antibodies in Human Milk, Journal of Perinatology Original Research through Mothers Milk Cooperative (Boulder City, Nevada, USA), 1 September 2020
https://www.nature.com/
(accessed 9 September 2020)
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR HANDLING DONOR MILK
The Lancet, Dr. Natalie Schenker, Maintaining safety and service provision in human milk banking: a call to action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 6 May 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30134-6/fulltext
(accessed 8 May 2020)
Human Milk Banking Association of North America, Why Donor Human Milk is an Essential Need During COVID-19, 4 April 2020
https://www.hmbana.org/file_download/inline/90d5f710-fac5-4515-a784-c2ce4a0a0a34
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Hearts Milk Bank, UK, I’m donating my milk – what do I need to know about Covid-19?
http://heartsmilkbank.org/donating-milk-covid-19/
(accessed 16 April 2020)
RECOMMENDED SOURCES REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILDBIRTH
United Nations Human Rights Council, https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/chr/pages/commissiononhumanrights.aspx
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Human Rights Watch, Banning Companions During Childbirth Strips Women of Support, 27 March 2020,
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/27/banning-companions-during-childbirth-strips-women-support
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Human Rights in Childbirth, https://humanrightsinchildbirth.org/
(accessed 16 April 2020)
Amnesty International briefing, Maternal Health is a Human Right,
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/mm_briefing_lores.pdf
(accessed 16 April 2020)
The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO),
https://www.figo.org/
(accessed 16 April 2020)
International Confederation of Midwives,
https://www.internationalmidwives.org/
(accessed 16 April 2020)
The White Ribbon Alliance, Respectful Maternity Care,
https://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/rmctoolkit/
(accessed 16 April 2020)