Breastfeeding considered safe during Covid pandemic, say experts

Dr Ketan Bharadva, president of Human Milk Banking Association (India) and president of Infant and Young Child Feeding Chapter of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, said that breastfeeding is considered safe during Covid-19.

3 min readPuneAug 4, 2020 11:34 PM IST

World Breastfeeding Week, Breastfeeding safe, covid pandemic, Coronavirus crisis, Indian express news

According to Sayali Sathe, lactation counselor and nectar human milk bank in-charge at KEM Hospital, this year, the theme is ‘Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet’. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

The current Covid-19 pandemic has raised concerns about the safety of breastfeeding for both mother and baby. With World Breastfeeding Week underway from August 1 to 7 , experts told The Indian Express that organisations such as WHO, UNICEF, Indian Academy of Paediatrics and other apex bodies on health have encouraged mothers with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 to initiate or continue to breastfeed.

Dr Ketan Bharadva, president of Human Milk Banking Association (India) and president of Infant and Young Child Feeding Chapter of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, said that breastfeeding is considered safe during Covid-19. “This advice is recommended by most apex bodies of health,” he said.

These recommendations are based on weighing risks versus benefits from whatever limited scientific evidence is available in specific context of the SARS COV-2 virus, and on the basis of observations from other epidemics in the past and established advantages of breastmilk, said Dr Bharadva,

For safety, the mother should take standard hygiene precautions, including wearing a mask and sanitisation during breastfeeding, cough and sneeze hygiene and disinfection of surfaces to prevent respiratory and fomite-borne transmissions, said the expert.

“Covid-19 has not yet been found to be transmitted from mother to the child via breast milk,” Dr Bharadva said, adding that sourcing milk from human milk banks is safe during the pandemic. “For infants whose mother’s milk cannot be available for whatever reason, the next best option is pasteurised donor human milk from a scientifically-operated standard milk bank. There is convincing evidence in scientific journals that coronavirus is killed by pasteurising milk by Holder Method. Standard milk banks routinely use the Holder Method,” said Dr Bharadva.

According to Sayali Sathe, lactation counselor and nectar human milk bank in-charge at KEM Hospital, this year, the theme is ‘Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet’. “Babies who are given feeds other than breast milk are known to have lesser immunity, more illnesses and require more hospitalisations,” Sathe said, adding that breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life is important for optimum growth and health of the baby.

Amrita Desai, assistant manager, lactation, at Cloudnine Hospital, said that mothers should be counselled that benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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