Breastfeeding During Disasters

An emergency such as a natural disaster often comes with little warning and very little time to plan. Even when a crisis hits on a more personal level (a house fire or loss of a job, for example) having a plan beforehand can help families cope.

Breastfeeding is one way to maintain nutritional supplies to young children when food and water may be scarce or contaminated due to a disaster. The recent events in Japan remind us that it is especially important to make families aware of the numerous benefits of breastfeeding. Emergencies jeopardize the health and survival of large populations, with infants being the most vulnerable. Breastfeeding is recommended and safe at all times and can save infants’ lives during emergencies.

It is recommended that mothers continue to breastfeed during emergencies or disaster for multiple reasons. Breastfeeding is sanitary, and requires no electricity or refrigeration, or water for formula preparation, which may be in short supply. Continuing to breastfeed keeps the mother’s milk production up and protects babies against disease and malnutrition. The more often a woman breastfeeds, the more milk she will make. The basics of breastfeeding during an emergency are much the same as they are in more stable times. Measures that keep a mother safe, well nourished, and free from illness will help protect her baby and her milk supply.

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan, and subsequent disasters, the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) urges health care providers and rescue workers to include breastfeeding support as a vital part of disaster relief and humanitarian aid efforts. The ILCA also discourages donations of infant formula since artificial feeding can increase illness and disease in an emergency. As breastfeeding policy recommendations for this and other future disasters, the ILCA is proposing the following:

• Encourage mothers to continue breastfeeding to give infants sanitary, safe nutrition, to help fight infection and disease, and to keep infants warm;
• Feed the mother so she can, in turn, feed her infant;
• Provide a safe environment for breastfeeding or expressing milk, including providing a private area or a way to breastfeed discreetly, if the mother desires it;
• Assist mothers who are separated from their infants with regular milk removal to maintain their milk production and avoid engorgement;
• Provide donor human milk from a human milk bank if a mother is injured or unable to directly breastfeed;
• Assist mothers with re-establishing their milk production if they have already weaned their baby;
• Provide mother with accurate information and support to continue providing their infants with the best protection of all, mother’s milk.

As natural disasters in recent years have demonstrated, the ability to transport and store water, food and other necessities is greatly diminished during and following catastrophic destruction. Human milk is readily available and provides all the necessary nutrition needed by an infant. It is especially important that the local community is aware of the benefits of breastfeeding during emergencies, given the geography of Memphis, and its potential for natural disasters. Breastfeeding helps reduce stress and is a comfort to both the mother and baby. Breastfeeding protects babies from the risks of a contaminated water supply. It provides protection against respiratory illnesses and diarrhea—diseases that can be fatal in populations displaced by disaster.

Resources:

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2007). Infant Nutrition During a Disaster Breastfeeding and Other Options. Retrieved from http://www.aap.org/breastfeeding/files/pdf/InfantNutritionDisaster.pdf

Florida Department of Health and WIC. (2010). Be Prepared At All Times. Retrieved from http://www.doh.state.fl.us/family/wic/Documents/disaster-preparedness/be_prepared_newsletter-english.pdf

International Lactation Consultant Association. (2011).Welcome to ILCA! Retrieved from http://www.ilca.org/files/in_the_news/Emergencies/Checklists09_PRINT.pdf