WASHINGTON — Misinformation about the safety of breastfeeding during the coronavirus pandemic has led to decreases in the practice by women who fear it could harm babies, NGOs say.
Combating misinformation about breastfeeding — already rampant in some countries before the pandemic — is even more complicated when access to mothers through hospitals, clinics, and home visits has been restricted by lockdown measures. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for an infant’s first six months — guidance that did not change with the onset of COVID-19.