Cindy,
There is a wonderful research paper on the web that might be of interest to
the nurse who is going on a mission to Haiti to help moms breastfeed.  It's
called the, "Ecological study of effect of breastfeeding on infant mortality
in Latin America," from the BMJ 2001;323:303 (11 August) by Betran et al.
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Breast-Feeding-Study.htm

In Haiti according to WHO statistics 96% of the moms breastfeed but only 2%
exclusively breastfeed.  Haiti's infant mortality rate is 132 per 1000
births--very high.
The study above states that 55% of infant deaths from diarrhoeal disease and
acute respiratory infections in Latin America are preventable by exclusive
breastfeeding among infants aged 0-3 months.  This study believes that about
52,000 infant deaths would be prevented by promoting exclusive breastfeeding
0-3months and partial breastfeeding throughout the remainder of infancy.

Haiti also has high rates of hiv/aids.  Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding
for moms who are hiv positive in areas of extreme poverty are important and
part of WHO policy.  The problem for this nurse maybe that she, herself, may
not have enough background experience and knowledge of breastfeeding to
promote this or help women practice exclusive breastfeeding.  It is upsetting
to me that people are sent to these countries to help with breastfeeding when
they themselves have never done it and/or never been educated in that area.
It would be like sending me to help people in Haiti build a well for water.
I would have alot of good intentions to be helpful but I might make a real
mess of it because I have no training in that area.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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