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Infant
and Young Child Feeding in emergencies
In
emergency and relief situations breastfeeding
is of critical importance: it saves babies’
lives. Artificial feeding in these situations
is difficult and increases the risk of malnutrition,
disease and infant death. Protecting breastfeeding
in an emergency is a more difficult concept to
promote! In the conditions characteristic of most
emergencies, breastfeeding becomes even more important
for infant nutrition and health. The resources
needed for safe artificial feeding - such as water,
fuel and adequate quantities of appropriate breastmilk
substitutes - are usually scarce in emergencies.
Artificial feeding in these circum-stances increases
the risk of diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition,
which in turn substantially increase the risk
of infant death.
How to protect, promote and support breastfeeding
in emergencies:
- Emphasize
that breastmilk is best.
- Actively
support women to breastfeed.
- Avoid
inappropriate distribution of breastmilk substitutes.
- When
necessary, use infant formula if available.
- Do
not distribute feeding bottles/teats; promote
cup feeding.
- Do
not distribute dried skim milk unless mixed
with cereal.
- Add
complementary foods to breastfeeding at 6 months.
- Avoid
commercial complementary foods.
- Include
pregnant and lactating women in supplementary
feeding when general ration is insufficient.
The following documents are available on Infant and
young child feeding in emergencies.
Infant
and Young Child Feeding in Emergency Situations
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