Babytalk | COVID-19 pandemic reminds us of the crazy times that came before

What a crazy time we are living in right now. It is one thing to read about pandemics in history books and certainly another thing to be actually living through one. The thing about history, it does repeat itself.

We are fortunate to have so much information available to us. There was a time when people died in great numbers without explanation. During the middle of the last century people were suddenly crippled by the polio virus. Millions died during what became known as the Spanish flu. Inside story: the “Spanish flu” really started in Kansas. Cholera wiped out parts of Europe on a regular basis.

It was an inquisitive doctor who decided he would find out where and how this awful disease was spreading.

In 1854 Dr. John Snow, a pioneer in anesthesiology, decided he needed to figure out why people were dying in such large numbers in London, England. He collaborated with Rev. Henry Whitehead to find out the source of the infection. The two of them realized shared water sources were common where there were infections. Eventually they found one shared water source that had been contaminated by a diaper full of feces. The baby had died and the mother disposed of the baby’s soiled diaper near a popular water pump. Snow had the handle of the pump removed. Infections stopped. He had found the source and eliminated further contamination. This is why tracking infections is so important. It is the key to stopping them.

Infections are transmitted in many ways. They can spread through the air, which is airborne transmission. Measles, a dreadful sickness that killed and caused deafness in many children before we had a vaccine, was transmitted simply by walking into a room after someone with measles had departed.

Touching a contaminated object such as a doorknob, which had been contaminated by someone, and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands can make you sick.

Infectious diseases are also transmitted through contaminated food, water, insect bites, soil and vegetation. Hookworm, an infectious disease of the intestines, can by contracted by walking barefoot and the larvae enter through the skin of your feet. Not good news for those of us who love to be barefooted and feel the grass.

All of this is very scary. It almost makes you want to quarantine forever. But we humans are social animals and we need each other. As we are all now experiencing this COVID crisis we are also learning how difficult it is to be isolated. We can’t live in a bubble so we learn how to protect ourselves.

The most common recommendations are washing your hands, don’t touch your nose, eyes or mouth, avoid sick people, cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough, and during this time we are also being asked to wear a mask. We also need to be up-to-date, especially for our children, with vaccinations. Ask anyone who was infected by polio if they wish they could have had a vaccination to prevent the infection and you would hear a resounding yes.

There are other ways of protecting ourselves and our children.

Lactoferrin is a naturally occurring protein found in milk. Mammals make milk for a reason. For some mammals the mother’s early milk is crucial for survival. One of the dominant ingredients in the early milk a mother makes for her baby is lactoferrin. It is a potent anti-microbial modulator of the immune system. The lactoferrin in human milk is seven times higher than the lactoferin in cow’s milk. We are advising mothers who may have the COVID virus that they should continue to breastfeed their baby as the virus is not found in human milk and will help the baby to have a strong immune system. We are telling these mothers they do need to wear a mask and be diligent with hand washing, but keep feeding your baby.

Take care of yourselves and your families. We all need each other.

Katie Powers, R.N., is a board-certified lactation consultant and perinatal educator at Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Family BirthPlace. Her column appears every other week in Healthy Living in the Bradenton Herald. Contact her at katie.powers@mmhhs.com.

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 7:41 AM.