They say one must always fear the unknown. And a while up until now, I would still struggle to find the meaning in this quote. But after having been struck with a virus like Corona that dropped out of nowhere, I am beginning to understand where the saying was coming from. In my experience, it is easier to make peace with things that you know of, where you are aware of the potential outcomes or you can identify the threat accurately. But when it comes to something you don’t know much about, it’s almost as if your own imagination becomes your enemy. As what happened for a long time when we were exposed to the Covid-19 virus.
With limited knowledge whatsoever about where the origin was, what the symptoms could be like, how contagious it was in nature, to what can treat it, for weeks and months the entire world was just trying to collate all the facts to know the virus a tad better, especially the ones who had gotten exposed. And even though it was bad for almost everyone who contracted it, it was worse for the pregnant ladies and new mothers who just gave birth.
With several speculations around whether or not a Covid positive mother can feed her infant with her breastmilk, The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry has finally issued a statement and instructed all field functionaries and healthcare providers to reassure mothers to initiate and continue to breastfeed their infants as per guidelines even if they have tested positive for corona.
'Breastfeeding in COVID times is not an absolute no' https://t.co/zlECeG2P5P via @NewIndianXpress
— Nikita Sharma (@NikitaSharmamj) August 6, 2020
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Breastfeeding is an important part of the life of an infant, and must not be missed out on, considering it is the source of all nutrients for a baby when it is little. But with a fear of giving their children corona, mothers positive with the virus unwillingly refrained from feeding their children. However, with the latest studies, there is nothing they should worry about, for it has been proven that the coronavirus has not been found in amniotic fluid or breast milk which implies that the virus cannot spread to the baby through pregnancy or breast feeding.
During this period when COVID-19 is increasing, it is also important to encourage mothers to continue breastfeeding safely. See how in the poster below #WorldBreastfeedingWeek2020#KomeshaKorona @DigiRedio @MOHTurkana pic.twitter.com/f1Wa2hFI0i
— USAID Imarisha Jamii (@ImarishaJamii) August 6, 2020
The ministry tweeted, “Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or sanitizer before and after contact with your child. In case of complementary feeding, feed the infant or young child with a cup and wash hands with soap and water before handling cups, bottles, teats etc and limit the number of caregivers feeding the infant.” The news came in the Breastfeeding week itself, and once again spread awareness to young mothers about a doubt that had been keeping them away from their babies.