Bibliographic Info
GuidelineGuidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease
Year of Publication2020
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Recommended in favor
Strong
Certainty of evidence
Very low
A woman who has recovered from Ebola virus disease, cleared viremia, and wants to continue breastfeeding should wait until she has had two consecutive negative RT-PCR breastmilk tests for Ebola virus by, separated by 24 hours. During this time, the child should be given a breastmilk substitute
Notes and Remarks
- 1.The recommendation to discontinue breastfeeding in the event that both the breastfeeding woman and the breastfed child have acute EVD is based off a hypothetical risk of viral ‘boosting’ between two infected individuals. This viral boosting could theoretically increase disease severity through additional viremic exposure. Evidence to directly support this recommendation is lacking
- 2.Infants younger than 6 months of age should be provided with a breastmilk substitute (eg, ready-to-use infant formula) that is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe. Infants and young children between 6 months and 23 months of age should be provided with a ready-to use infant formula or ultra-high temperature full-cream (or whole) cow’s milk along with complementary feeding (this food can be supplemented with micronutrient powders if the nutrient content is expected to be inadequate).
- 3.Rapid testing of breast milk of women with recovered EVD, who would like to continue to breastfeed, should be prioritized.
- 4.Women’s choices related to stopping breastfeeding, or continuing after EVD recovery and testing of breast-milk, should be respected and supported by health care workers to facilitate the choice
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Guideline
WHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year2023
InstitutionWorld Health Organization