According to some doctors, a woman in South Florida who received a COVID-19 vaccine gave birth to the first known baby with antibodies.
The woman, who is a health worker in the foreground, received the first dose of Moderna’s shot when she was 36 weeks pregnant, reports the news station WPBF.
When she gave birth in Palm Beach County in January three weeks later, a blood sample was taken from the umbilical cord.
“We tested the baby’s cord to see if the antibodies were transferred from the mother to the baby. This is something we see happening with other vaccines given during pregnancy,” said Dr. Paul Gilbert told the news station.
The blood sample confirmed what doctors suspected: The baby was born with antibodies.
“To our knowledge, it was the first in the world to report a baby born with antibodies after a vaccination,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert and dr. Chad Rudnick presented their findings in a new paper, yet to be reviewed by the peer, explaining that more research is needed to determine whether the antibodies protect the newborns.
“We call on other investigators to compile pregnancy and breastfeeding registers, as well as to conduct efficacy and safety studies on the Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women and their offspring,” they wrote.