Florida woman shares breast milk with antibodies to help protect babies from Covid-19
By Erin Guy
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — “As soon as I was healthy enough, I went and got the vaccine. It was really important to me,” explained Keren Sharlow.
Sharlow has a 3-year-old daughter and recently gave birth to a son. While she feeds him her milk full of antibodies, she said she is producing so much milk she wanted to share with other families.
She turned to Facebook to donate her extra supply.
“I did have some parents mention they were happy I had the vaccine and they were specifically looking for it,” said Sharlow.
There are a lot of ads online looking for milk specifically with antibodies, something local OB-GYN Dr. John Caravello, from St. Mary’s Medical Center, isn’t surprised by.
“A baby who is breastfed exclusively for six months to a mother who received the vaccine or natural immunity, that baby is constantly getting antibody protection,” said Caravello.
Caravello said if you are seeking milk online, it comes with a risk.
“I would be cautious about someone selling their milk, unless they are able to demonstrate they have gone through an appropriate pasteurization process that has been proven and they have been screened and that their milk is free of communicable disease,” explained Caravello.
The doctor said when you pasteurize the milk, you are also removing a lot of the good nutrients, including some of the antibodies.
“People are kind of desperate. They want to do something to protect their baby,” said Caravello.
Sharlow said she does not pasteurize, but the families she donates to know that.
The doctor said if you want to buy milk online, you should ask if the milk is pasteurized, get specific information about the donor’s diet, ask how the milk is stored and make sure the pump is properly cleaned.
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