Florida woman who was vaccinated against COVID-19 during pregnancy gives birth to first-known baby in the US with antibodies against the infection
- The unnamed woman, who is a frontline healthcare worker, received one dose of Moderna;s coronavirus vaccine when she was 36 weeks pregnant
- Three weeks later, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who was tested to see if she had antibodies
- Doctors found the baby had IgG antibodies, proteins that the body produces in the late stages of infection and may remain in the body for months or years
- The new mother received her second dose during the post-partum period in keeping with the 28-day period recommended for the Moderna vaccine
A Florida mother has become the first woman in the U.S. to give birth to a baby known to be born with COVID-19 antibodies.
The unnamed woman received one dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccined a few weeks before giving birth.
In January, the baby was found to have antibodies against the infection that can typically remain in the body for several years.
To our knowledge, this was the first in the world that was reported of a baby being born with antibodies after a vaccination,’ pediatrician Paul Gilbert told local station WPBF.
A Florida mother, who received one dose of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, gave birth to the first baby in the U.S. known to be born with COVID-19 antibodies (file image)
Past studies have shown that pregnant women who are vaccinated against the flu and TDaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) pass antibodies through the placenta to their babies.
While it would be expected to hold true for the COVID-19 vaccine, research has been limited on the subject.
In a pre-print article, the authors say the new mother, who is a frontline healthcare worker, was 36 weeks pregnant when she received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
After her baby was born in January, doctors took blood samples to see if the mother had passed antibodies to her newborn.
Tests showed the infant had IgG antibodies, proteins that the body produces in the late stages of infection and may remain for up to months and possibly years after a person has recovered.
According to Gilbert, this is something ‘we see happen with other vaccines given during pregnancy.’
The authors say their study has been submitted to a journal for peer review and is currently awaiting publication.
‘This is one small case in what will be thousands and thousands of babies born to mothers who have been vaccinated over the next several months,’ the woman’s other pediatrician, Chad Rudnick, told WPBF.
The woman received her second dose after giving birth in keep with the 28-day recommended period for the Moderna vaccine