Feeding Infants in Emergencies: Breastfeeding Matters Now€¦ · •Babies get sick •Babies and...
Transcript of Feeding Infants in Emergencies: Breastfeeding Matters Now€¦ · •Babies get sick •Babies and...
Feeding Infants in Emergencies:
Breastfeeding Matters Now
What is an emergency?• While COVID-19 is a global
pandemic and an obvious emergency, refugees live in an ongoing state of emergency
In an emergency…..
• People lack basic necessities
• Risks around reliable power and clean water
• The risk of infection goes up
• Items like formula are too expensive, or disappear completely
What are priorities in an emergency?• Health
• Food
Those in power may give advice that is not realistic
• “Use hand sanitizer”
• “Wear a face mask”
• “Get tested”
• “Sleep in a separate room if you are sick”
• “See the doctor”
Feeding infant formula safely in emergencies is not realistic either
• Boil the water
• Sterilize the bottles
• Read the instructions
• Refrigerate it
• Throw away unused formula
• Do all this 8-10 times a day……………
Breastfeeding is critical without other health basics
• No vaccinations?
• No antibiotics or medicine?
• No doctors?
• No family support?
• Breastfeed to keep the baby as healthy as possible!
In the short term, breastfeeding prevents acute outcomes
• When babies aren’t breastfed: • Babies get sick• Babies and families
have to go to hospitals or clinics
• If babies get hungry, mothers feed foods that are not good for young babies
• More sick babies
Even more important….• Breastfeeding prevents
against illness
• The antibodies in the mother’s milk go direct to the child and protect them against disease