No increase in risk was identified for mother or baby during pregnancy or birth among those who were vaccinated, consistent with other reports. The findings offer possible encouragement for increased vaccine adoption among pregnant mothers seeking to protect themselves and their babies during the first months of life.
A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Maternal-Fetal Medicine found protective antibodies in the cord blood of all 36 participant neonates whose mothers received either the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccine during pregnancy. Study design distinguished between antibodies associated with natural infection or vaccination. The highest levels were observed among newborns whose mothers were vaccinated during the second half of pregnancy.
“Studies continue to reinforce the importance of vaccines in preventing severe illness in both mothers and babies.”
Ashley S. Roman, MD
“Studies continue to reinforce the importance of vaccines in preventing severe illness in both mothers and babies,” says Ashley S. Roman, MD, Silverman Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a principal investigator. “If babies are born with antibodies, it could protect them early-on, when they are most vulnerable.”
