Breastfeeding: EMU

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BREASTFEEDING: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT=20 UNIT

Location: Home = > Advocacy at=20 OPHA > OPHA=20 Advocacy Letters > Breastfeeding:=20 EMU

June 6, 2006

Honourable George Smitherman
Minister of Health and = Long-Term=20 Care
80 Grosvenor St, 10th Flr, Hepburn Block
Toronto = ON M7A=20 2C4

Dear Minister Smitherman,

The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) represents = the=20 interests of more than 3,000 community and public health=20 practitioners across Ontario. The mission of OPHA is to = provide=20 leadership on issues affecting the public=92s health, and to = strengthen the impact of people who are active in public and = community health throughout Ontario. The Breastfeeding = Promotion=20 Workgroup of the OPHA focuses on promotion, support and = advocacy for=20 breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding provides infants and young children with = the=20 essential nutrition for healthy growth and development. As=20 breastfeeding is the optimal and safest method of infant = feeding,=20 support of breastfeeding initiation and continuation is = crucial=20 during times of emergency and natural disaster. The World = Health=20 Organization strongly urges emergency relief agencies and = operations=20 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding during crisis = (WHO,=20 1994).

During emergency situations, a clean water supply, = sterilization=20 equipment and refrigeration are often extremely difficult to = procure, hence the safe preparation and storage of infant = formula=20 may not be possible. Exclusive breastfeeding offers complete = food=20 security for infants under six months of age and greatly = reduces the=20 incidence of infant malnutrition, infectious diseases = (particularly=20 those causing diarrhea), and death.

Exclusive breastfeeding fulfills all the fluid, = nutritional and=20 immunologic requirements of an infant for the first six = months of=20 life, without risk of contamination. Conversely, formula = feeding=20 places infants at increased risk of malnutrition, morbidity = and=20 mortality. After six months, when age- appropriate = complementary=20 solid foods are introduced, breastfeeding continues to offer = young=20 children protection from illness and disease.

In almost all instances, even women with sub-optimal = nutrition=20 are capable of producing breastmilk of appropriate volume = and=20 quality. While stress and anxiety may temporarily reduce the = flow of=20 mother=92s milk, this is generally a short-term response. A = critical=20 goal in emergency management can be the provision of food = for=20 mothers to enable them to meet their own energy requirements = and=20 continue to breastfeed their children.

Mothers who have ceased to breastfeed their infants and = young=20 children prior to an emergency may be able to resume = breastfeeding=20 and relactate with support and education from relief = workers. High=20 quality breastpumps may be useful in this process and should = be=20 included among emergency preparedness equipment.

When direct breastfeeding is not an option for a family, = the best=20 alternative would be pumping and feeding expressed = breastmilk. If=20 this is not possible, the use of breastmilk substitutes may = be=20 necessary. In such circumstances, it is vital that steps be = taken to=20 ensure the safe preparation, use and storage of breast milk=20 substitutes.

International organizations caution relief agencies that = offers=20 of formula, bottles and teats to breastfeeding women during = a crisis=20 may undermine breastfeeding when its continuation is of = utmost=20 importance, and potentially vital for child survival. While = relief=20 organizations must ensure that they have supplies of formula = on hand=20 for those in need, the protection of breastfeeding is an = extremely=20 important goal of the relief effort.

The OPHA Breastfeeding Promotion Workgroup is available = to=20 provide consultation and support to the Emergency Management = Unit=20 with regards to the preservation of breastfeeding in = emergency=20 situations.

If you have any questions or you would like further = information=20 regarding evidence-based breastfeeding practices, please = contact the=20 Workgroup Chair, Jennifer Hutcheson, at (705) 445-0804 Ext. = 7614.=20 Thank you in advance for your commitment to optimizing the = health of=20 women and children through the protection, promotion and = support of=20 breastfeeding in situations of crisis and beyond.

Sincerely,

Dr. Garry Aslanyan
President, Ontario Public Health=20 Association

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