The CDC is making pregnant people aware of how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, it is known that pregnant people have changes in their bodies that may increase their risk of some infections.
Pregnant people have had a higher risk of severe illness when infected with viruses from the same family as COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza.
Just like everybody else, pregnant people can protect themselves from COVID-19 by avoiding people who are sick or who have been exposed to the virus, cleaning their hands often using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily.
Mother-to-child transmission of coronavirus during pregnancy is unlikely, but after birth, a newborn is susceptible to person-to-person spread. The virus has not been detected in amniotic fluid, breastmilk, or other maternal samples.
Breast milk provides protection against many illnesses and is the best source of nutrition for most infants. If you are sick and choose to direct breastfeed, wear a facemask and wash your hands before each feeding.
If you are sick and choose to express breast milk, follow these steps.
- Express breast milk to establish and maintain milk supply.
- A dedicated breast pump should be provided.
- Wash hands before touching any pump or bottle parts and before expressing breast milk.
- Follow recommendations for proper pump cleaning after each use, cleaning all parts that come into contact with breast milk.
- If possible, consider having someone who is well feeding the expressed breast milk to the infant.
For more information, visit cdc.gov.
