First known baby with COVID-19 antibodies born in US
Pediatricians have reported the first known case of a woman, who was given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during her pregnancy, giving birth to a baby with antibodies against the novel coronavirus. According to the yet-to-be peer-reviewed study, the south Florida woman received a single dose of the Moderna vaccine at 36 weeks and three days of gestation period.
Antibodies were detected in cord blood
The lady gave birth to a healthy, full-term girl, whose blood sample, taken immediately after birth revealed the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the study noted. "Here, we report the first known case of an infant with SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies detectable in cord blood after maternal vaccination," noted the co-authors, Paul Gilbert and Chad Rudnick from Florida Atlantic University in the US.
One case of the many more to come: Rudnick
"This is one small case in what will be thousands and thousands of babies born to mothers who have been vaccinated over the next several months. Further studies have to determine how long will this protection last," Rudnick told West Palm Beach ABC affiliate.
Maternal vaccination can potentially protect against coronavirus
The woman, who has been breastfeeding the baby exclusively, received the second dose of the vaccine as per the normal 28-day vaccination protocol timeline. While earlier studies showed that the passage of antibodies from coronavirus-recovered mothers to their fetuses via the placenta was lower than expected, the current research suggests the potential for protection and infection risk reduction from SARS-CoV-2 with maternal vaccination.
More pregnancy and breastfeeding registries need to be created
Gilbert and Rudnick noted that further long-term studies are needed to quantify the antibody response in vaccinated mothers' babies. "Protective efficacy in newborns and ideal timing of maternal vaccination remains unknown," they said. "We urge others to create pregnancy and breastfeeding registries and conduct efficacy and safety studies of the COVID-19 vaccines in a pregnant and breastfeeding woman and their offspring," they added.
