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Infant Feeding After a Disaster
Key Points
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The care and feeding of infants and young children after any disaster is an important priority, because they are vulnerable as a result of their total dependence on adults for survival. Breastfeeding is the recommended way to feed all infants, and after a disaster it is often the safest way available.
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Even with maternal dehydration, malnutrition, or limited food intake, mothers’ milk will provide proper nutrition in the initial phase of recovery until further aid arrives. Human breast milk contributes bioactive factors that are both nutritive and protective against diarrhea and respiratory illnesses and supports the infant’s developing immune system.
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Challenges and circumstances after a disaster will vary according to the type of disaster and the degree of preparedness to deal with them. Under inadequate hygienic conditions and limited clean water and food supplies, the use of formula may increase infants’ risk for illness as a result of contamination. Breastfeeding mothers have the safest method to provide for infant nutrition, and the most beneficial aid is providing direct support, nutrition, and clean water to mothers to continue breastfeeding.
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To mitigate infant morbidity and mortality in disasters, it is necessary to include breastfeeding support and safe infant feeding strategies in preparedness plans. This should include keeping the family together (at least mothers and infants), creating safe environments for breastfeeding and infant feeding, providing education and support for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and arranging for ongoing assessment of infant and child hydration and nutritional status.
Benefits of Breastfeeding After a Disaster
Among the many priorities to address in a disaster scenario are the care and feeding of infants and young children, vulnerable because of their total dependence on adults for survival. When a disaster strikes, caretakers and parents will be expected to be feeding infants younger than 6 months one of three options: exclusive breastfeeding, breastfeeding combined with baby formula, or exclusive baby formula. 1 Infants older than 6 months would also be receiving complementary foods. Under normal living conditions, breastfeeding is the recommended way to feed an infant, and after a disaster becomes the safest way available, even in infants older than 6 months, until supplemental food is available. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 Breastfeeding has the advantages of providing nutrients required for growth and being ready to feed, at the adequate temperature, and without the need of supplies or clean water. It also has the additional benefits of providing warmth and comfort to the infant and the mother in the mist of the chaos after a disaster. 1 , 4 , 7 Even with maternal dehydration, malnutrition, or limited food intake, mother’s milk will provide proper nutrition in the initial phase of recovery until further aid arrives. 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 8 , 9 Not only does it provide needed nutrients, it also provides immunoglobulin A, many bioactive factors, and live cells with protective immunologic properties contributing to protect the gastrointestinal tract against infectious diseases that cause diarrhea, a protective benefit for the immature immunologic system and gastrointestinal tract of the infant and against respiratory illnesses. 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 Infants are at a higher risk for both during a disaster because of poor hygienic and adverse environmental conditions and increased risk for contamination in overcrowded living conditions in shelters. 4 , 6 Given the stressful circumstance encountered in such disaster situations, mothers may require additional support to establish successful exclusive breastfeeding in disaster situations because of unexpected changes in their living circumstances and to overcome emerging challenges and barriers.
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