Covid fear leads to drop in breastfeeding among new mothers in Telangana

An unexpected fallout of Covid-19 pandemic is the declining breastfeeding rates.
For representational purposes. (File Photo)
For representational purposes. (File Photo)

HYDERABAD:  An unexpected fallout of Covid-19 pandemic is the declining breastfeeding rates. According to doctors working in the field of lactation and pregnancy, there has been a significant drop in lactation rates as families are reluctant to keep newborns with Covid positive mothers and tend to separate them, fearing that the infection may spread to the baby.

“Lactation as a process is tough for new mothers to follow as babies don’t naturally know to suck the breast milk. Even before the pandemic broke out, lack of a supportive environment at home and workplace used to make the process even harder. Now with Covid-19 striking, the lactation rates have fallen further, especially when the new mothers got infected,” said Dr Mahishma K, Consultant Paediatrician and Assistant Professor at Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences. She notes that the issue is more pertinent in urban areas than rural areas as ease of affordability of formula is more in urban areas. 

“Usually there is a 15-day period for Covid-19, and if one discontinues during this, with counselling and support we can reintroduce and start the process of re-lactation,” Dr Mahishma said.She added, “However, in urban setups, only 50 per cent go back to breast milk after discontinuing it as the formula is more affordable for them, and nuclear family setups and Work from Home related issues may interfere in going back to breastfeeding. In rural areas, up to 70 per cent go back to breastfeeding.” 

Dr Bahgya Lakshmi, Consultant Obstetrics, Gynaecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Yashoda Hospitals, said if breastfeeding was done with proper Covid-19 precautions it could yield good results. 
“Proper precautions like use of face shield, mask and proper hand hygiene ensure there is no spread of Covid-19 from Covid positive mothers to non-Covid infants. A thorough education on these lines can help reduce reluctance,” Dr Lakshmi said. 

However, if discontinued, reintroduction is next to impossible in some cases. “Families have a lot of stigma around Covid-19. They separate the babies from mothers to prevent the spread, but this can cause more damage than good. During this World Breastfeeding Week, we want to destigmatize Covid-19 and breastfeeding so that children and mothers have a healthy experience,” she added.

Non-Covid services resume at Gandhi

 Gandhi Hospital opened up for non-Covid services on Tuesday. The hospital was rendered an exclusive Covid treatment centre from April mid-week. According to officials, nearly 250 out-patient tokens were issued in the first hour on Tuesday. The hospital will now have Covid-19 wards on the second and third floor of the previous orthopaedic ICU and the fourth floor will be for mucormycosis cases. The rest of the hospital will be utilised for non-Covid services

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