Mobile-Assisted Virtual Bonding Enables Breast Milk Supply in Critically Ill Mothers With COVID-19: A Reflection on the Feasibility of Telelactation

Abstract

The separation of the mother-infant pair during the immediate postpartum period has been shown to impair the initiation and sustenance of breastfeeding. For critically ill mothers with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the imposed isolation generates anxiety for their health and that of the offspring. In this study, we present a few cases where a favorable outcome was observed through a telehealth initiative for mothers with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, which involved sharing pictures and videos of newborn infants with the mothers during the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in a maternity hospital in northern Iran. In addition to the subjective maternal wellbeing offered by the visual and auditory cues from the infant, this technology-assisted telelactation'/'mobile-lactation'/'e-lactation' could potentially enhance the mother's capacity to initiate emotional bonding with the infant and be an adjunct in achieving and maintaining her lactation goals while offering the best nutritional choice for the infant.