19/03/2022
S.A.F.E - Infant Feeding Support
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SUPPORT:
Support caregivers travelling with infants and young children by listening with compassion, observing, validating their concerns and needs, and providing evidence-based information about safe feeding options. Provide mothers and children with safe spaces in which to conduct assessments, rest, and feed their children. Facilitate opportunities for mothers to connect with and support one another.
ASSESS:
Do a rapid assessment of feeding to better support infant and young child feeding. Ask: (1) How old is your baby? (2) How did you feed your baby last week? (3) How did you feed your baby yesterday? These questions provide enough information to determine if referral for specialised breastfeeding support is needed or if specialised support for formula feeding is needed. Knowing the age of an infant is critical because this information will also help to determine what alternative and complementary foods might be safer and age appropriate. Skilled translators or use of health communication aids can facilitate these assessments. All mothers who are breastfeeding, whether exclusively or partially, and who have recently stopped breastfeeding should be provided with skilled breastfeeding support. Helping mothers to breastfeed wherever it is possible is important because formula feeding is very dangerous in this emergency. Food insecurity, lack of sanitation and clean water, overcrowding, and poor medical care mean that formula fed babies are at great risk. The caregivers of formula fed infants need to receive skilled support and the right resources to protect their baby.
FEED:
Ensure that all infants are provided with the safest form of nutrition available. Breastfeeding mothers should receive extra nutritional support whenever possible. Mothers who are mixed feeding deserve to have assistance to help them wean off of formula feeding and increase their milk supply. For formula fed infants, 'single use, ready to feed' (UHT) liquid formulas are recommended. Powders should be avoided. All formulas should be checked to ensure that they have not expired before dispensing. Preparation of powder formula should be followed as specified on the label. Provide organisations supporting formula feeding with monetary donations rather than in kind as formula of the wrong type (age range, language of instructions, or form) will not help.
EMPOWER:
Caregivers should be given information and the risks and benefits of all infant feeding options. Breastfeeding mothers have a right to psychosocial and skilled lactation support. Breastfeeding should be supported, encouraged, and protected. In an emergency, many mothers genuinely believe that stress or lack of food has dried up their milk when what has actually happened is that stress has slowed the release of milk and made their baby fussy. For this reason, a request for infant formula should not be assumed to indicate a real need. Giving formula to mothers in this situation makes their situation more difficult, not easier. Whenever possible, any families who are relying upon formula should be given clear guidance on how to feed formula as safely as possible while in transit.
Information for families to use to guide safer infant feeding while in transit may be found in various languages at both the following links:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_j4XBIS5BhiYXNLN3GkoPSQcq_TybnyZ?fbclid=IwAR2flmf0dUBQ5qHZ924RD2A1SXo9xFx7cRjuOEUpauf8e_yIpvFEygAilqo
ENN
http://www.ennonline.net/guidelinesiycffeedingsupporttransit
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Learn more about bottle and safety precautions when feeding formula milk:
ENN: Why IFE Matters
https://www.ennonline.net/file/download/2300
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Save the Children: Handling Milk and Milk Products in Emergencies
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/ix._handling_milk_products.pdf/?fbclid=IwAR067Ul-3tKPRBFo4KkbGVv5iYolzpcwS2nXV4fLzKHH9lMEXtZAtvKJ0fQ
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Learn why formula donations and uncontrolled distribution of formula are discouraged during emergencies and disasters:
Save the Children: Preventing and Handling Donations in Emergencies
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/viii._donations.pdf/?fbclid=IwAR3SPtXSjvI3BEKWA7o6rSouewhSI3dCHmVi7kPkzfdZD0uOmPtN54eA2Wg
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