Michelle asked about establishing a relationship with the local Red
Cross regarding lactation support during disasters.
In 2009, when the World Breastfeeding Week theme was "Breastfeeding:
A Vital Emergency Response. Are You Ready?" our local Breastfeeding
Coalition approached the local Red Cross Chapter to see if we could
speak with them about Infant Feeding in Emergencies. They agreed.
It took several months to set it up. Jill Mallory, a physician
member of our Breastfeeding Coalition, gave a power point talk in
October, 2009 at a meeting of about 40 of the volunteers that
supervise and staff shelters and set up feeding stations in
emergencies. (They allotted us 20 minutes. They were meeting to
also discuss the H1N1 flu and prepare a response.) This group meets 4
times a year. It is called the Mass Care, Disaster Mental Health and
Health Services group. We learned that these volunteer responders
get sent to emergencies all over the United States, not just in our
local area. One man described having just helped at a shelter where
a baby was born during a hurricane. That gave us a chance to talk
about the importance of putting the newborn baby to breast, skin to
skin with the mother to prevent postpartum hemorrhage and keep the
newborn warm and fed and safe. The talk was very well received.
They asked for a copy of the power point presentation to share with
staff members who had not attended. We also received a nice thank
you note.
One of the most difficult points to get across was not accepting
loads of donated infant formula at emergency shelters. They argued
that they don't have money to purchase supplies and have to accept
these "free" donations. We so often end up talking amongst
ourselves, and i was interesting to talk with these volunteer workers
who have little experience with breastfeeding, and an outlook
reflecting mainstream American ideas that bottle feeding is normal
and necessary in emergencies.
I think our physician speaker would be willing to share her power point.
The same talk was repeated the next April (2010) as part of an annual
Breastfeeding Symposium that we put on for local health care
providers (with attendance of about 150). We did that because nurses
and others were collecting formula donations to send to Haiti after
the earthquake. We felt that all local health care workers needed to
hear our talk on Infant Feeding in Emergencies.
I made up a loose-leaf resource notebook for the Red Cross to have on
hand, with a number of handouts, flyers and protocols. For shorter
handouts or booklets we included a copy, with order information. For
longer documents, we provided the web sites. They could make extra
copies of the resources notebooks to take to emergencies. We also
gave copies to the County Emergency Services director. (See below
for the resources.) Also, we collected a number of pedal pumps
that need no electricity, (along with directions for setting them up
and using them), and these are now stored at the Red Cross along with
other emergency supplies.
Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Resources on Infant Feeding/Breastfeeding in Emergencies
(Compiled by Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC, April 2010)
From Wellstart International:
“Infant and young Child Feeding in Emergency Situations” (2005, 3
pages)
<http://www.wellstart.org/Infant_feeding_emergency.pdf>
From the American Academy of Pediatrics: (2 page handout, 2007):
“Infant Feeding During a Disaster: Breastfeeding and Other Options”
http://www.aap.org/breastfeeding/files/pdf/InfantNutritionDisaster.pdf
From the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and IBFAN
(International Baby Food Action Network): “Fact Sheet on Feeding
Babies in Emergencies” (5 pages, 2005) http://www.waba.org.my/pdf/
Factsheet.pdf
From IBFAN: “Infant Feeding in Emergency Situations” (current
resources and links) http://www.ibfan.org/fact-feeding_emergency.html
From Texas WIC: “Infant Feeding in Disasters” http://
www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/bf/ifdisasters.shtm The Texas
Department of Health Services (TDHS) developed a poster to use with
emergency first responders to help protect, promote, and support
breastfeeding during emergencies. The poster is designed for use in
places and with people for whom breastfeeding is not normally a
consideration. The poster serves as a reminder that breastfeeding is
a critical way to ensure the survival of the most vulnerable victims
of any disaster until conditions stabilize. It can be distributed to
fire stations, National Guard armories, Red Cross/Red Crescent
offices, emergency rooms, and any first responder locale.
The Texas Department of Health Services (DSHS) has given permission
for others to add their own contact information. The poster is
available in English and Spanish and can be downloaded from their
website at (2007)
From the Emergency Nutrition Network: “Infant and Young Child
Feeding in Emergencies” http://www.ennonline.net/resources/
tag.aspx?tagid=121
“Call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in
Haiti” (2010) Joint statement from UNICEF, World Health
Organization and World Food Programme
http://www.ennonline.net/pool/files/ife/joint-statement-iycf-haiti.pdf
World Health Organization's guidelines for feeding infants and young
children in an emergency:
WHO 2004: “Guiding Principles for Feeding Infants and Young Children
During Emergencies” (84 pages) http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/
2004/9241546069.pdf
WHO 2007: “Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies:
Operational Guidance for Emergency Relief Staff and Programme
Managers” (26 pages) http://www.ennonline.net/pool/files/
ife/ops-guidance-2-1-english-010307.pdf
UNICEF website on Nutritional Security in Emergencies: http://
www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_emergencies.html
“The Code and Infant Feeding in Emergencies” (2009) http://
www.worldbreastfeedingweek.net/wbw2009/images/icdc_%20focus_english.pdf
“Facts for Life” UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNAIDS, WFP,
World Bank, 2002. (151 pages) http://www.unicef.org/
publications/files/pub_ffl_en.pdf
See especially pages 38 – 51 on Breastfeeding.
From ILCA (International Lactation Consultant Association):
“Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Breastfeeding Mothers”
“Breastfeeding Support Checklist for Relief Workers”
“Breastfeeding Support Checklist for Health Workers”
all at http://www.ilca.org/files/in_the_news/press_room/Checklist.pdf
From La Leche League International:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/emergency.html
This is a compilation of information for mothers affected by recent
natural disasters.
Emergency babywearing information is available at http://
wearyourbaby.com/
Ways to carry babies to keep them close to mothers in emergencies.
From LA Publishing: “When Disasters Happen: Breastfeeding During
Emergencies” Pamphlet by Pamela Wiggins, IBCLC. (2007, 8 pages)
http://breastfeedingbooks.com/?page_id=32 1-800-397-5833
From the United States Breastfeeding Committee, May 1, 2009:
“Breastfeeding Recommended to Protect Infants During Swine Flu
Outhtbreak”
http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/NewsInformation/NewsRoom/
200905BreastfeedingandSwineFlu/tabid/144/Default.aspx
CDC updates to this information are at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
infantfeeding.htm
On-Line Presentation by Dr. Karleen Gribble: “Breastfeeding a Vital
Emergency Response” (2009)
Recording (Format 1): http://health-e-learning.acrobat.com/p28814510/
FLV Video (Format 2): http://health-e-learning.acrobat.com/p47437124/
On-Line Presentation by Mary Applegate, MD, Ruth Lawrence, MD,
Audrey Naylor, MD: “Breastfeeding – A Vital Emergency Response,”
University at Albany School of Public Health (August 6, 2009) http://
womenshealthgroundr.blip.tv/file/2458347/
To Find Breastfeeding Support and Help in Your Local Community in an
Emergency:
For La Leche League
Go to the web site at http://www.llli.org/
Click on the box, “Find local support” on the upper left.
Follow directions to select country, state, city, etc.
Contact information for local La Leche League leaders will be displayed.
To find an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC):
Go to the web site at http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?
pageid=3432
Follow the directions for “Find a Lactation Consultant.”
This information is provided by the International Lactation
Consultant Association (ILCA).
>
> Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:12:09 -0800
> From: Michele Crockett <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: emergency prepardness
>
> Our local coalition spent a year trying to build
> and establish a relationship with our county Red Cross. ... They
> agreed to have a table at our World Breastfeeding Week Health Fair
> and then
> didn't show. Since then they have refused to respond to either
> phone calls,
> emails or letters including one to the ED of the county agency. We
> have
> offered to provide free training to their staff and volunteers as
> well.
>
> Has anyone else been able to establish agreements with their local
> Red Cross
> or other diaster response agencies? What works? What other actions
> can we
> consider to prepare locally?
>
> Michele L. Crockett, IBCLC, LLLL, PCPA
> Pregnancy Aid WIC, BCSnohomish County, in the earthquake zone of
> Washington
> State!
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