COVID-19 Breastfeeding Guideline for African-Americans

Summary

Newborns and infants receive passive natural immunity through maternal antibodies present in breastmilk to fight infections caused by viruses such as the COVID-19, until they develop active immunity by illness or vaccination. Such immunity will become the main stay for preventing future waves of COVID-19 epidemics. The high COVID-19 mortality among African Americans is ascribed partly to compromised immune status associated with comorbidity. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the effective low-cost natural strategy for building immunity right from birth. African Americans record the lowest EBF rates and also lack workplace support. This intervention includes a 10-hour course extracted from 90-hour CLC online program, sufficient to prepare physicians to partner with certified lactation consultant (CLC) to provide their patients comprehensive COVID-19 breastfeeding guidelines, training, and support to afford their babies the benefits of breastmilk antibodies, the best line of defense against COVID-19, until availability of safe vaccines. The Breastfeeding Report Card indicates slow improvements in overall breastfeeding rates with persisting disparities. Improving EBF rates can contribute to increased COVID-19 immunity among infants. Preliminary data in Nashville indicates excellent breastfeeding benefit knowledge and intent, but limited training to succeed. Hospital staff encourage breastfeeding but routinely offer formula at birth. Most physicians who provide prenatal care do not actively promote breastfeeding nor routinely offer CLC referral. This single action by physicians can halt routines that compromise successful EBF. The program long-term goal is to prepare obstetricians to actively promote comprehensive breastfeeding among African American mothers. The immediate objective is to develop and evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase COVID-19 breastfeeding guideline adherence and improve EBF skills and rates among African American mothers. The rationale is that mothers who receive physician prenatal encouragement and CLC referral will make confident informed decisions, adopt COVID-19 breastfeeding guidelines, safely meet their EBF goals, and provide their infants with appropriate antibodies. The expected outcome is that patient participants will adhere to COVID-19 breastfeeding guidelines and record 3-month EBF rate 60 percent or greater.

Conditions

• Covid19
• Exclusive Breastfeeding

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

COVID-19 Breastfeeding Support

Intervention will be implemented by trained prenatal care providers to provide comprehensive exclusive breastfeeding and COVID-19 breastfeeding guideline education and support to study participants.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Meharry Medical College

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Samuel E Adunyah, Ph.D. · Meharry Medical College

• Carlton Z Adams, M.D. · Meharry Medical College

• Flora A Ukoli, M.D., MPH. · Meharry Medical College

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-09-01

Primary Completion

2023-10-31

Completion

2023-10-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations