In all socio-economic settings, breastfeeding improves survival and provides lifelong health and development advantages to newborns and infants. Breastfeeding also improves the health of mothers. Transmission of active COVID-19 (virus that can cause infection) through breast milk and breastfeeding has not been detected to date. Therefore, there is no reason to avoid or discontinue breastfeeding.
Delayed rather than immediate umbilical cord clamping is beneficial for all newborn, both term and preterm.
Delayed umbilical cord clamping, performed within 1 to 3 minutes after birth, is recommended to improve infant health outcomes. Delay (1 – 3 minutes) after birth for clamping and subsequent section of the umbilical cord allows the transfusion of blood from the placenta to the newborn, which in turn improves their iron store and contributes to meet the requirements of this micronutrient during the first six months.
Iron is a critical micronutrient from immune function to neurological development in children. Its deficit generates iron deficiency anaemia.
Prolonged skin-to-skin contact of newborns with their mother during the first postnatal hour favours the initiation of breastfeeding and subsequent support.
Early skin-to-skin contact, without interruptions, immediately after birth, favors the initiation and subsequent support of breastfeeding.
During the first hour after birth, babies have the ability to initiate suckling at the breast on their own. This is possible if, at their reception, after gently drying their skin and evaluating their breathing, they are placed in prone position directly on the skin of the mother's abdomen and chest, without interfering with contact. To achieve this, newborns require time, around 45 minutes to 2 hours after birth.
To support countries in adapting their response to different COVID-19 scenarios, the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing commissioned this scoping review of published and grey literature. The objective was to identify interventions implemented to maintain the provision and use of essential services for MNCAAH during disruptive events and to summarize lessons learned during these interventions.