- A Florida baby may get the first report of having Covid-19 antibodies from its mother’s vaccine.
- Covid positive moms can also give antibodies to their babies in the womb.
- More research is needed on the vaccine during pregnancy.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
A baby born three weeks after her mother received her first dose of the modern COVID-19 vaccine has antibodies to the virus, according to a February pre-printed paper.
After the shots were found, the mother of a healthcare worker in Florida developed COVID-19 antibodies.
According to authors at the University of Florida Atlantic, the tests revealed that the antibodies passed through the placenta to provide some potential protection to her unborn child.
While past reports have shown how a mother with Covid-19 can deliver antibodies to babies, the authors believe that vaccines during pregnancy record how they can do this.
It is not clear how long the antibodies are protective or how long they last
The authors Dr. Paul Gilbert and Drs. Chad Rudnik called his report a lucky “chance study” because he was able to find and follow a pregnant man who had never tested positive for COVID, but had received the vaccine in late pregnancy and early. Rollout
When the baby, according to the paper, was “an energetic, healthy, full-term girl,” doctors examined her cord blood, along with other typical tests, such as blood type, for antibodies made from blood.
They were able to detect COVID-19 IgG antibodies (the type that indicates recovery), indicating that the baby has little protection against the virus, although it is not clear how long or how long it lasts. Future research should highlight if this is the ideal time for a pregnant woman to be vaccinated to increase her child’s defense against the virus.
The authors say its results were expected based on how the vaccine is known, and others recommend the flu vaccine, like during work, during pregnancy.
Previous research has shown that COVID-19 antibodies cross the placenta
Previous studies suggest that covid-positive mothers may go to their fetus on IgG antibodies against the virus.
A March 2020 paper of six women who tested positive for the virus at the time of delivery, for example, found elevated levels of IgG antibodies in five, although none had Covid-19.
An October case report also describes an infant born to a mom with asymptomatic CO Weed-19 who had IgG antibodies but a negative COV test, showing “passive immunity” by the placenta, the authors write.
And, in November, a Singaporean woman who had COVID-19 in March 2020 gave birth to a baby whose antibodies appear to be protective against the virus.
Still, more research is needed to understand how the severity of the disease affects antibody levels, how the timing of infection plays a role in pregnancy, and how strong and long-lasting children’s immunity is.
There is also a need for more research on vaccination in pregnant women who were excluded from the first clinical trials. While shots are expected to be safe in pregnancy and no increase in complications has been reported, it will take time to collect and publish full trial data.
Until then, most professional and government organizations encourage pregnant people to make the decision that is right for them based on their occupation, transmission rate in their community, underlying health status, and other factors.
Whatever the choice, “you should feel your decision is respected,” Dr. Jessica Madden, a pediatrician and neonatologist who serves as the medical director of Aeroflow Breastpumps, told Insider
