tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Pediatr Res
. 2022 Jan 19.
doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01902-y. Online ahead of print.
No infectious SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk from a cohort of 110 lactating women
Paul Krogstad[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Deisy Contreras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hwee Ng[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Nicole Tobin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina D Chambers[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Kerri Bertrand[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Lars Bode[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Grace M Aldrovandi[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Genomic RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in the breast milk of lactating women, but its pathological significance has remained uncertain due to the small size of prior studies.
Methods: Breast milk from 110 lactating women was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (285 samples) and viral culture (160 samples). Those containing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA (vRNA) were examined for the presence of subgenomic RNA (sgRNA), a putative marker of infectivity.
Results: Sixty-five women had a positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test, 9 had symptoms but negative diagnostic tests, and 36 symptomatic women were not tested. SARS-CoV-2 vRNA was detected in the milk of 7 (6%) women with either a confirmed infection or symptomatic illness, including 6 of 65 (9%) women with a positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test. Infectious virus was not detected in any culture and none had detectable sgRNA. In control experiments, infectious SARS-CoV-2 could be cultured after addition to breastmilk despite several freeze-thaw cycles, as it occurs in the storage and usage of human milk.
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be found infrequently in the breastmilk after recent infection, but we found no evidence that breastmilk contains an infectious virus or that breastfeeding represents a risk factor for transmission of infection to infants.
Impact: This article goes beyond prior small studies to provide evidence that infectious SARS-CoV-2 is not present in the milk of lactating women with recent infection, even when SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected. Recent SARS-CoV-2 infection or detection of its RNA in human milk is not a contraindication to breastfeeding.
. 2022 Jan 19.
doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01902-y. Online ahead of print.
No infectious SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk from a cohort of 110 lactating women
Paul Krogstad[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Deisy Contreras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hwee Ng[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Nicole Tobin[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina D Chambers[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Kerri Bertrand[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Lars Bode[SUP] 4 6 [/SUP], Grace M Aldrovandi[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35042956
- DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01902-y
Abstract
Background: Genomic RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in the breast milk of lactating women, but its pathological significance has remained uncertain due to the small size of prior studies.
Methods: Breast milk from 110 lactating women was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (285 samples) and viral culture (160 samples). Those containing SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA (vRNA) were examined for the presence of subgenomic RNA (sgRNA), a putative marker of infectivity.
Results: Sixty-five women had a positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test, 9 had symptoms but negative diagnostic tests, and 36 symptomatic women were not tested. SARS-CoV-2 vRNA was detected in the milk of 7 (6%) women with either a confirmed infection or symptomatic illness, including 6 of 65 (9%) women with a positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test. Infectious virus was not detected in any culture and none had detectable sgRNA. In control experiments, infectious SARS-CoV-2 could be cultured after addition to breastmilk despite several freeze-thaw cycles, as it occurs in the storage and usage of human milk.
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be found infrequently in the breastmilk after recent infection, but we found no evidence that breastmilk contains an infectious virus or that breastfeeding represents a risk factor for transmission of infection to infants.
Impact: This article goes beyond prior small studies to provide evidence that infectious SARS-CoV-2 is not present in the milk of lactating women with recent infection, even when SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected. Recent SARS-CoV-2 infection or detection of its RNA in human milk is not a contraindication to breastfeeding.
