Mothers urged to breastfeed even if infected with COVID-19

As the world marks world breastfeeding week, the World Health Organization now implores mothers to continue breastfeeding even if contracted with COVID-19. While addressing a news conference World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risk of infection.

“WHO recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged the same as all other mothers to initiate or continue breastfeeding,”

The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.

In line with this theme, WHO and UNICEF are calling on governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, a critical component of breastfeeding support.