Breastmilk feeding of infants at birth among people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy — SET-NET, Five States, March 29, 2020–December 31, 2020

Objective: To describe prevalence of breastmilk feeding among people with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and examine associations between breastmilk feeding, timing of maternal infection before delivery, and rooming-in status during delivery hospitalization. Methods Retrospective cohort using data from five states reporting initiation of breastmilk feeding of infants at birth among people with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy in 2020. Results Among 9760 (weighted N) people with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, 86.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 83.3%-88.7%) initiated breastmilk feeding during birth hospitalization. People with infection ≤ 14 days before delivery had significantly lower prevalence of breastmilk feeding (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.97) compared to those with infection > 14 days before delivery. When stratified by rooming-in status, the association between timing of infection and breastmilk feeding remained only among infants who did not room-in with their mother (aPR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.92). Conclusion Pregnant and postpartum people with SARS-CoV-2 infection should be advised about the importance of breastmilk feeding, how to safely feed their infants in the same room, and have access to lactation support.