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Getting An Early COVID Vaccination Can Give The baby Better Antibodies

A new Northwestern Medicine study has discovered that pregnant women who took the COVID-19 vaccine in their third trimester can get higher chances of passing protective antibodies to their babies which is a piece of good news in the medical fraternity. It repels the women who took the vaccination closer to delivery.

Getting An Early COVID Vaccination Can Give The baby Better Antibodies

The research took place with a blood sample of 27 pregnant women. All these women received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in their third trimester. The test also included the umbilical cord blood of their 28 newborns. 26 children were singletons, and one set of twins.

Getting An Early COVID Vaccination Can Give The baby Better Antibodies

The study showed that all the women who received the vaccine created a strong immune response after vaccination. It suggests that the COVID-19 vaccine can actually protect pregnant women. Again, with the continuous study, it was visible that the mothers were passing antibodies to their children and to the newborns. The report shows that only three newborns could not receive the positive antibodies at birth. These women received their vaccination less than three weeks before the delivery.

This study more found that the ladies receiving the second dose of the vaccine just before they delivered also showed a good increase in transferring antibodies to their baby.

Senior author Dr. Emily Miller, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine maternal-fetal medicine physician explained that the vaccine is just like the extra fuel to the overall antibody system. She added that “We strongly recommend you get the vaccine while pregnant. But if you’re fearing vaccination might harm the baby, these data tell us quite the opposite. The vaccine is a mechanism to protect your baby, and the sooner you get it, the better.”

With this study, there was more research done throughout different institutions with 10 umbilical cord samples. While the new Northwestern study analyzed 28 cord blood specimens. Doing the research with more samples lets them get better results and conclusions.

The women who were part of the research were mostly health care workers because of the vaccine eligibility and timing. They received the vaccine in their third trimester. All of them showed good and strong responses to the vaccine.

The women who received the vaccination in their first or second trimester of pregnancy may also lead to a better efficiency to create antibodies. But it is not completely confirmed. This was because the mRNA vaccines came into the picture at the end of December.

The passively transferred antibodies will keep working within the immune system and will remain to preserve babies after delivery, Dr. Miller said continued with her conversation.

There will be more studies that will include more numbers and diversity of women who initiated a vaccination earlier in their pregnancy. The researchers are hoping to understand the impact of how efficiently antibodies transfer to the baby. 

“This is a really great way to passively protect your baby because, unfortunately, this virus isn’t going away anytime soon,” Miller said.

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