Breast milk could help in fight against COVID-19 in young children

New research is looking at if antibodies found in breast milk could help fight off and treat severe cases of COVID-19.

BRAZIL...ON THE LAST DAY OFHIS TERM, TODAY.BUT PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S SPOKESWOMANTWEETED THAT THE INCOMINGADMINISTRATION WILL NOTIMPLEMENT THAT ORDER.NEW THIS MORNING... CUTTINGEDGE RESEARCH HAPPENING NOWMAY GIVE DOCTORS A NEW WAY TOTREAT COVID-19 PATIENTS.WE'VE HEARD OF PLASMACONTAINING COVID-19 ANTIBODIESBEING USED TO TREAT THOSE WHOARE HOSPITALIZED...BUT WHATABOUT THE ANTIBODIES FOUND INBREASTMILK?

WCPO NINE NEWSREPORTER ALLY KRAEMER TALKEDWITH DOCTORS ABOUT THE SCIENCEBEHIND USING IT AND LOCALMOTHERS WHO BELIEVE IT.IT'S OFTEN CALLED LIQUID GOLD- FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS,EVERY DROP COUNTS.

BUT WHAT IFBREASTMILK COULD DO MORE THANJUST NOURISH YOUR CHILD?THAT'S WHAT RESEARCHERS WANTTO FIND OUT.

"there's a lot ofchatter about that and I thinkthat's exciting"A NEW RESEARCHSTUDY IS LOOKING AT WHETHERCOVID-19 ANTIBODIES FOUND INBREASTMILK HAVE PROTECTIVEPOWER TO FIGHT-OFF AND TREATSEVERE CASES OF COVID-19.

THEANTIBODIES IN BREASTMILK AREUNIQUE..."tends to be pretty robustand it harder to digest and sothe thought is that's really agood thing for babies and isthere, is this an opening thedoor to other possibilities"LAURA WARD - A NEONATOLOGISTAT CINCINNATI CHILDREN'SHOSPITAL SAYS THE RESEARCH ISIN ITS INFANCY - BUT THERE ISWELL ESTABLISHED EVIDENCE THATBREASTMILK PROTECTS AGAINSTTHE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATIONFOR LOWER RESPIRATORYISSUES."it makes sense thatbreastfeeding is protectiveagainst this virus, I thinkwe're just starting to come upwith that evidence for sure"THAT'S WHY NURSING MOTHERS WHOCONTRACT COVID-19 AREENCOURAGED TO CONTINUEBREASTFEEDING THEIR CHILDREN.AND THAT'S WHAT DEBBIEPAPPADAKES DID WITH HER SONJOHN WHEN SHE HAD COVID-19BACK IN NOVEMBER."my family and I had beenlooking up at the research ofantibodies and babies and howthat works.

It's been a hugerelief, I feel really goodabout the fact that such asmall person has been exposedand is now getting an immuneresponse they think thathopefully will protect him ifhe does get exposed again."BUTA NEW DIET FOR JOHN MEANT HECOULD NO LONGER HAVE MILK FROMDEBBIE'S FREEZER STASH -INCLUDING MILK WITH POTENTIALCOVID-19 ANTIBODIES.

SHE SAYSIT WAS TOUGH TO LET GO OF HERMILK - BUT SHE POSTED IN ALOCAL BREASTFEEDING FACEBOOKGROUP THAT SHE HAD MORE THAN100 OUNCES UP FOR GRABS.GIVING AWAY YOUR BREASTMILK TOA TOTAL STRANGER MIGHT SEEMCRAZY -- BUT 'INFORMAL MILKSHARING' IS A THING."to have the antibodypotential, I feel like is sucha blessing especially forsomebody that might not beable to breastfeed at allbecause that's a lot of immuneresponse that formula justcan't get close to"DEBBIEISN'T THE ONLY MOM SHARINGMILK WITH POTENTIALANTIBODIES.

EMILY JUMP-REITZRECEIVED A FEW OUNCES FOR HERSON KAYDEN WHEN SHE CONTRACTEDCOVID-19."I just wanted to give him ahead start because at thispoint, I was not making anymore milk so I was not able toshare any of the antibodies Iwas making"BACTERIA ANDVIRUSES CAN BE TRANSFERREDTHROUGH BREASTMILK - WHICH ISWHY DOCTOR JENNIFERMCCALLISTER AT CHILDREN'SHOSPITAL SAYS NOT TO DO IT."I think taking milk from aperson you don't know isdefinitely very risky"EMILYKNOWS THE RISKS.

AND SHE HASHER OWN CHECKLIST BEFORE SHEACCEPTS - OR DONATES MILK.

"Istalked her Facebook and lookat everything she has goingon.

She's a nurse, she haskids of her own""I kind ofdecided the risk wasoutweighed by thebenefits"THE ACADEMY OF BREASTFEEDINGMEDICINE DOES SAY IN CERTAINSITUATIONS IT IS OKAY TOINFORMALLY SHARE BREASTMILK,LIKE IF IT'S A FAMILY MEMBEROR SOMEONE YOU TRULY TRUST.GUYS?