Initial research shows that vaccinated pregnant mothers pass Covid-19 antibodies to their children through breast milk and in the womb.
Numerous preliminary studies show that pregnant women who received an mRNA vaccine, such as those from Pfizer or Moderna, had Covid-19 antibodies in their umbilical cord blood.
Another study found antibodies in breast milk, which means that part of the immunity can be transferred to children during pregnancy and after birth.
Duke University vice president of obstetrics and quality, Brenna Hughes, said The Washington Post that some articles not yet peer-reviewed are “the first to show what we hoped was true, that it is that these vaccines could potentially be protective by means of antibodies transmitted to the fetus”.
She added that “concerns about possible risks and harm can be proved just the opposite. In fact, it can be proven that vaccines do provide protection to the developing fetus.”
A South Florida health worker was vaccinated three weeks before giving birth to a girl with antibodies to Covid-19, CBS News reported.
Dr. Paul Giblert and Dr. Chad Rudnick wrote in a prepress study that “antibodies are detectable in a newborn’s umbilical cord blood sample after just a single dose of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine Thus, there is potential for protection and reduction of the risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection with maternal vaccination ”.
A pre-printed study, not yet peer-reviewed, examined 131 vaccinated women, 84 of whom were pregnant. The study showed that pregnant women have similar immune responses and therefore are likely to receive as much protection with the vaccine as women who are not pregnant.
Dr. Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, co-author of the study, told CBS News: “Antibodies generated by the maternal vaccine have been detected in the umbilical cord blood of all 10 babies who [were] delivered during our study period. ”
She added: “Our data suggest that receiving both injections of the mRNA vaccine leads to better transfer of antibodies to newborns.”
The next phase of the studies will be to discover the effectiveness of antibodies for newborns and for how long they will provide protection.
Denise Jamieson, head of the gynecology and obstetrics department at Emory University, said The Washington Post which is “important to remember that the main reason why we are so focused on vaccinating pregnant women against Covid is because we know that mothers are at greater risk of serious illnesses”, adding that this also increases the risk of babies.