New WHO COVID-19 guidelines ease restrictions on pregnant women

By Aaron Humes: COVID-19 will no longer be allowed to interfere with the natural processes of motherhood, according to an internal memo seen by Breaking Belize News from Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness to regional health managers.

Dated July 8, it passes on the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) on pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who come in contact with COVID-19.

Pregnant women who have contracted the virus are recommended to get vaccinated when the benefits outweigh the potential risks, the memo says.

Lactating women (I.e. those producing breast milk whether pregnant or not) can now be vaccinated.

Breastfeeding may not be discontinued because of vaccination.

Mothers with the virus who are clinically stable are allowed to breastfeed subject to wearing face masks and practice hand hygiene before each feeding of the baby.

And those who are too I’ll to breastfeed, the Ministry says, may express breast milk to be fed to the baby by a healthy caregiver.

There are no recent figures on how many Belizean women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are exposed to the virus. But the paramount considerations are the health and safety both of mom and baby and ensuring the virus is not passed on with the breast milk.

For more information contact your respective health region.

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