Pediatricians have reported the first known case of a woman who gave birth to a baby with antibodies against the novel coronavirus. She was given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during her pregnancy.
Key Points
- As per a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study, the mother had received a single dose of the Moderna mRNA vaccine at 36 weeks and three days of her gestation period.
- The study was posted in the preprint server medRxiv.
- Three weeks later, the woman gave birth to a healthy and vigorous girl.
- The blood sample taken immediately after the birth of the baby revealed the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- The co-authors of the study Paul Gilbert and Chad Rudnick from Florida Atlantic University in the U.S then reported it as the first known case of an infant with SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies detectable in cord blood after maternal vaccination.
- 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 have shown that the passage of antibodies from COVID-recovered mothers to their fetuses via the placenta was lower than expected, the current research suggests “potential for protection and infection risk reduction from SARS-CoV-2 with maternal vaccination.”
- However, the co-authors note that further long-term studies are required to quantify the antibody response in babies born to vaccinated mothers.
The pediatricians wrote that the protective efficacy in newborns and ideal timing of maternal vaccination remains unknown. They have urged other investigators to create pregnancy and breastfeeding registries as well as to conduct efficacy and safety studies of the COVID-19 vaccines in a pregnant and breastfeeding woman and their offspring.
