Rooming-In, Breastfeeding Appear Safe for New Moms With COVID-19

"Based on our results, the risk of mother-to-infant transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during rooming-in seems to" be unlikely," Ronchi's group wrote, noting that findings were observed in infected mothers who were not severely affected by COVID-19, and who were counseled about droplet and contact precautions when providing infant care.

"Around three-quarters of babies were exclusively breastfed, the researchers noted, suggesting that breast milk may have played a protective role. They hypothesized that protection may have been transferred through direct transmission of specific IgA, or indirectly through other immunity-boosting mechanisms."