In doing some FIMR research today for an MCH preparedness project, I found this report after Katrina that I had not come across before.   I have copied some of the more powerful paragraphs here.  Read the full report here http://www.acog.org/departments/nfimr/NFIMRNewsletterSpring06.pdf#top

"7.6% increase in number of deliveries in the month following Hurricane Katrina's hit on New Orleans when compared to the same time frame the previous year. Similarly, the two neonatal intensive care units experienced a 16.7% increase in daily average census of NICU beds.

As hurricane Katrina approached, the Baton Rouge population more than doubled almost over night to over one million. There was no time for infrastructure expansion to accommodate this incredible change.Over 50 shelters, including Public Health-Special Needs, Red Cross, and church shelters were opened.

Due to the increase in the number of deliveries, the city created shelters specific to pregnant and parenting mothers with newborns and special needs infants . Once pregnancy shelters began to close, these women had to be transitioned to larger shelters. 

However, we had to grapple with some unsolvable problems at these larger shelters.For example, there was a decrease in the supply of powdered formula and mothers had no place to refrigerate the ready to feed formula once it was opened. There was no sterile water to clean baby bottles and women were having to wash the bottles in the same sinks as they were washing clothes and taking baths."


In the FIMR key findings , they recommend :
Stockpiles of infant formula and clean water should be immediately available to affected areas. Sterile delivery packs and other targeted MCH supplies should be at the ready for use in disaster areas.



No mention of breastfeeding or lactation support.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mirine R. Dye
Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
www.KeysHealthyStart.org 
 
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