The COVID-19 vaccine, when given to pregnant individuals, does not negatively affect newborns; instead, it provides significant protection, passing antibodies to the baby and lowering the risk of preterm birth and severe illness for both mother and infant, with studies showing benefits like reduced risks for the baby. Side effects for the vaccinated pregnant person are mild, like arm soreness, and don't translate to harm for the newborn, who receives protective antibodies.
Children ages 6 months through 3 years old also might cry, feel sleepy or lose their appetite after vaccination. It isn't recommended that you give your child a pain relief medicine before vaccination to prevent side effects.
The COVID-19 vaccine does also protect your child
In the later stages of your pregnancy, the same antibodies are transferred to the fetus via the placenta. As a new parent, the COVID-19 vaccination will also protect you against illness so that you can stay healthy and care for your child.
Babies under age 1 might be at higher risk of serious illness with COVID-19 than are older children. This may be mostly due to the fact that babies born prematurely have the highest risk. In general, the virus that causes COVID-19 doesn't spread from the pregnant person to the unborn baby.
Under the new guidelines, the CDC now recommends 11 vaccines for children, down from 17. Vaccines for rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis, RSV, and influenza are no longer on the universal recommendation list.
Parents don't vaccinate their children for various reasons, including safety concerns (fears of side effects, autism link, or "overloading" the immune system, often fueled by misinformation). Other factors include distrust in medical institutions or "Big Pharma", preference for natural immunity from disease, personal/religious beliefs, or practical barriers like cost, access, and needle phobia.
Researchers at the University of Miami reported on Thursday what they believe are the first two confirmed cases in which the SARS-CoV-2 virus crossed a mother's placenta and caused brain damage in the infants they were carrying.
The hardest week with a newborn is often considered the first six weeks, especially weeks 2-3, due to extreme sleep deprivation, constant feeding demands, learning baby's cues, postpartum recovery, and a peak in inconsolable crying (the "witching hour"), making parents feel overwhelmed as they adjust to a new, exhausting routine. While the first week is tough, the challenges often intensify as the baby becomes more alert but still fussy, with major developmental hurdles like cluster feeding and increased fussiness peaking around 6-8 weeks.
The 7 key danger signs for newborns, often highlighted by organizations like the WHO, are not feeding well, convulsions, fast breathing, severe chest indrawing, lethargy/unconsciousness (movement only when stimulated), high or low temperature, and jaundice (yellow skin/soles) or signs of local infection like an infected umbilical stump, requiring immediate medical attention.
Summary of Use during Lactation
Only a small percentage of milk samples from women who received an mRNA vaccine (Comrinaty, Pfizer-BioNTech; Spikevax, Moderna) contain trace amounts of mRNA in some, but not all studies. mRNA has not been detected in the serum of any breastfed infants.
Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to infections. Because of this, anyone who is around babies should be up to date on all routine vaccines, including: Whooping cough vaccine (DTaP for children and Tdap for preteens, teens, and adults)
Vaccinated mothers pass covid antibodies to babies in utero and through breastmilk, early studies show. Pregnant women who receive a coronavirus vaccine may transfer antibodies to their fetuses through umbilical cord blood and to their newborns through breastmilk, early research shows.
Selected major structural birth defects occurred in 113 infants (1.48%) after first-trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and in 488 infants (1.41%) without first-trimester vaccine exposure; the adjusted prevalence ratio was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.78-1.33).
CDC recommends a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 6 months and older based on individual-based decision-making. The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Healthcare professionals, researchers and health agencies continue to watch for rare side effects, even after hundreds of millions of doses have been given in the United States. Side effects that don't go away after a few days are thought of as long term. Vaccines rarely cause any long-term side effects.
The 2-hour rule for babies means they shouldn't stay in a car seat (or travel system seat) for more than two hours at a time, whether in or out of the car, because the semi-upright position can strain their developing spine and restrict their breathing, increasing the risk of low oxygen levels, especially for newborns and preemies. For long journeys, parents should take breaks every two hours to take the baby out, allow them to lie flat for a while, stretch, and feed, ensuring they get proper head/neck support and circulation.
The 5-3-3 rule is a loose guideline for structuring a baby's sleep schedule: 5 hours of wake time before the first nap, 3 hours of wake time before the second nap, and 3 hours before bedtime.
The newborn 5-5-5 rule is a postpartum guideline for new mothers to focus on healing and bonding in the first 15 days home, dividing rest into 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed, and then 5 days near the bed, encouraging minimal chores, visitors, and activity to prioritize recovery from childbirth and establishing the new family unit, drawing on traditional postpartum rest practices.
Fortunately, most people who get COVID don't suffer damage to the brain. But some do, and even people who initially get just mild COVID symptoms are vulnerable. So COVID's potential to damage the brain is just one more reason to do everything we can to avoid getting this disease.
Make sure you wash your hands before you breastfeed. Try not to cough or sneeze on your baby, as infection is carried in droplets from your mouth and nose. If you have Covid, you could consider wearing a face mask. Check out the advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) here.
One rare but real risk of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines is myocarditis, or inflammation of heart tissue. Symptoms — chest pain, shortness of breath, fever and palpitations — appear in the absence of any viral infection. And they happen quickly: within one to three days after a shot.
Newborn babies have vulnerable immune systems.
They need the additional protection from disease that vaccines offer. Until they're old enough to get all necessary immunizations, it's important that you and those spending time with a newborn are up to date on vaccinations to prevent the spread of disease to your baby.
1. Introduction. Australia has high childhood vaccination rates, with over 90 % of children fully vaccinated at age 5 since 2012. In 2020, that figure reached the national target of 95 %.