Abstract
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding as it has unique nutritional, medical, and neurodevelopment benefits to infants. Infants and young children are at most risk during a disaster. Within the past decade, there have been increases of natural and man-made disasters that have occurred in the United States and around the world. These disasters have created situations that have brought heightened awareness for the need to focus on vulnerable populations from the elderly to the very young who are unable to care for themselves. Infants and young children are highly susceptible to illness and malnutrition due to their specific nutritional needs. Disasters pose a hazard to the health and survival of babies due to the unhygienic environments it creates. During these disasters, breastfeeding is the cleanest, safest, and number one recommended source of nutrition for infants less than 12 months of age. The next best line of nutrition is expressed breast milk or human donor milk when the infant and mother are separated. Formula feeding is the last resort option if circumstances permit, and the appropriate resources are available to properly prepare formula feeds. Breastfeeding is convenient and saves money by eliminating the need to purchase supplies to prepare formula. Storage and transportation guidelines for breast milk and prepared formula should be carefully followed. This chapter covers the components of aiding the nutritional needs of infants and young children in disasters through breastfeeding support, resources for alternative nutrition, and formula feeding when breastfeeding is not attainable.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness & Response. Infant feeding during disasters [Internet]. 2013. Available from: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/resource/infant-feeding-during-disasters.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatr [Internet]. 2012;129(3):e827–41. Available from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Infant feeding in disasters and emergencies [Internet]. 2015. Available from: https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/breastfeeding/documents/infantnutritiondisaster.pdf.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Breast feeding benefits your baby’s immune system [Internet]. 2016. Available from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Breastfeeding-Benefits-Your-Babys-Immune-System.aspx.
Barfield WD, King SE, COMMITTEE ON FETUS AND NEWBORN, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL. Disaster preparedness in neonatal intensive care units. Pediatr [Internet]. 2017;139(5):e3–e11. Available from: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/139/5/e20170507.
Branca, F, Schultink, W. Breastfeeding in emergencies: a question of survival. 2016. Available from World Health Organization [Internet]: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/commentaries/breastfeeding-in-emergencies/en/.
Carothers, C, Cox, K. Breastfeeding: a vital emergency response—are you ready? Facts about breastfeeding in an emergency especially for relief workers [Internet]. 2009. Available from International Lactation Consultant Association: http://portal.ilca.org/files/in_the_news/Emergencies/FACTSforReliefWorkers.pdf.
Carothers, C, Cox, K. Breastfeeding: a vital emergency response—are you ready? Breastfeeding support checklist for relief workers. Breastfed babies are ready for anything! Emergency preparedness checklist for breastfeeding mothers. n.d. Available from International Lactation Consultant Association [Internet]: https://portal.ilca.org/files/in_the_news/Emergencies/Checklists09_PRINT.pdf.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infant formula preparation and storage [Internet]. 2018a. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/formula-feeding/infant-formula-preparation-and-storage.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food safety for infants after a disaster [Internet]. 2018b. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/food-safety-for-infants-after-a-disaster.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disaster planning: infant and young child feeding [Internet]. 2018c. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/features/disasters-infant-feeding/index.html.
DiMaggio, D. Tips for freezing & refrigerating breast milk [Internet]. 2016. Available from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Storing-and-Preparing-Expressed-Breast-Milk.aspx.
EAPRO, UNICEF. Supporting families to optimally feed infants and young children in emergencies, an important guide for health and relief workers [Internet]. 2006. Available from: https://www.ennonline.net/iycfemergenciesguide.
Gribble K. Formula feeding in emergencies. In: Preedy VW, editor. Handbook of dietary and nutritional aspects of bottle feeding. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers; 2014. p. 143–61.
Gribble K, Berry NJ. Emergency preparedness for those who care for infants in developed country contexts. Int Breastfeed J. 2011;6(16):1–12.
Human Milk Banking Association of North America. About frequent questions [Internet]. n.d.. Available from: https://www.hmbana.org/about-us/frequent-questions.html.
IFE Core Group. Infant and young child feeding in emergencies operational guidance for emergency staff and programme managers [Internet]. 2017. Available from: https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/emergencies/operational_guidance/en/.
Mother’s Milk Bank. Instructions for the use of processed human milk [Internet]. 2019. Available from: mothersmilk.org.
Mother’s Milk Bank. Babies who receive donor milk, when donor milk is prescribed [Internet]. n.d.. Available from: https://www.milkbank.org/milk-banking/babies-who-receive-donor-milk.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO). Advocacy brief: Breastfeeding in emergency situations [Internet]. 2018. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/files/8_Advocacy_Brief_on_BF_in_Emergencies.pdf.
United States Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Service. Keep your food safe during emergencies: Power outages, floods & fires. Retrieved from United States Department of Agriculture Food and Safety Inspection Services [Internet]. 2013. Available from: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/d3506874-2867-4190-a941-d511d3fcae71/Keep_Your_Food_Safe_During_Emergencies.pdf?MOD=AJPERES.
United States, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Commonly used sheltering items and services listing (CUSI-SL) catalog. 2011. Available from Homeland Security Digital Library [Internet]: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=783045.
Wellstart International. Infant and young child feeding in emergency situations [Internet]. 2005. Available from: https://www.wellstart.org/Infant_feeding_emergency.pdf.
World Health Organization. Relactation: Review of experience and recommendations for practice [Internet]. 1998. Available from: https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/who_chs_cah_98_14/en/.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank UCLA Health-Mattel Children’s Hospital NICU Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) for their contributions in writing this chapter.
Lindsay Calac, BSN, CCRN.
Renee Cauntay, BSN, CCRN.
Britnie Hanks, BSN, CCRN.
Siyung Kim, ADN, CCRN.
Chandni Patel, BSN, CCRN.
Anahit Sarin-Gulian, MSN, RNC-NIC, NE-BC.
Lauren Muguerza, BSN, CCRN.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
de Vera Reyes, M., Gaul, J., Rodriguez, E. (2020). Breastfeeding Issues. In: Goodhue, C., Blake, N. (eds) Nursing Management of Pediatric Disaster. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43428-1_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43428-1_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43427-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43428-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)