This article gives emergency shelter staff members information on how to support infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in emergency shelter-specific preparation and response phases. To prepare for a natural disaster situation, staff members can take the actions listed below. To make sure that efforts to keep families safe and fed at the shelter take health equity into account.
Resources for lactation maintenance in the community include the La Leche League, WIC, lactation consultants, breastfeeding counselors, breastfeeding peer counselors, and hotlines for help. The Special Supplemental Nutrition scheme for Women, Infants, and Children is known as WIC. Ensure that community contact and resource lists are kept current so that the shelter can swiftly and readily provide breastfeeding help.
How Emergency Feeding Programs Support Children and Families
Cultural differences for the individuals you work with. Daily activities in the shelter, like cooking, eating, and sleeping, may be impacted by cultural customs. A secluded, hygienic, and secure area where moms can definite their milk or breastfeed. You see establishing family-friendly, secure areas in emergency shelters. necessary materials for babies and toddlers. a place to keep powdered and ready-to-feed (RTF) newborn formula. If at all feasible, the temperature in this room will be regulated. If necessary, a location to safely produce powdered infant formula. CDC’s preparation checklist for diapering places in shelters can be used to create safe and hygienic stations. Spanish is also accessible. accommodations for kids who need electricity to eat because they have particular medical needs.
Advice for people who bring stated breast milk in a packed cooler on how to store it. As soon as you get there, move the labeled and kept breast milk from the chiller to a refrigerator. signage pointing families in the right direction for changing diapers, washing hands, cleaning baby food supplies, and safely feeding their kids. If necessary, carry out extra feeding valuations. Repeat families that they can ask staff for info, help, and supplies. Encourage and assist qualifying families to sign up for a long-term program like WIC. Check for mental health issues in shelter-seeking families. Emergency situations may affect the caregiver-infant feeding relationship and cause a great deal of stress for families. If at all possible, offer on-site assistance or make recommendations to follow-up care for the family.
Feeding Programs Support During Natural Disaster Emergency
- Give priority access to food and water, safe housing, medical treatment, lactation assistance, and psychosocial support to women who are pregnant or nursing.
- Keep families together and in a secure environment. Quickly evaluate each family’s needs if they have young children. Incorporate details on their child-feeding practices and any supplies or assistance they require.
- Families who are feeding their infants infant formula should not be housed in shelters that do not have clean water, ready-to-feed (RTF) newborn formula, or the ability to boil water to make powdered infant formula.
Support and encourage breastfeeding in US
- Tell again families that breastfeeding is the harmless way of feeding and protect their baby from illness & infection. Breastfeeding also provide babies and parents comfort and reduce stress.
- Explained that breastfeeding doesn’t need electricity and water, which can be lacking throughout the unsafe emergency.
- Other than the bathroom, Inspire the families to breastfeeding when and wherever they want to in the shelter.
- Categorize other breastfeeding peoples within the shelter that might be eager to help as peer-support to a family in need.
Ensure hygiene, safe feeding and sanitation
Hygiene, safe feeding and sanitation is the most important factor about the breastfeeding. And during the emergency, families has been educated about the infant formula of feeding and proper cleaning or infant feeding items, also shown families the areas of shelter where they can:
- Express milk & breastfeed in private if desired, not in the bathroom.
- Clean feeding items separate from bathroom and wash your hand properly and prepare food.
- Safely and cleanly change or dispose of diapers separate from the feeding area.
- Deliver disposal cups for families to use along with the cup feeding commands because Bottle, Sippy cup are problematic to keep clean when water is limited or engaged.
How Emergency Feeding Programs Manage Supplies
Support should be provided to families that are using infant formula for as long as necessary. Infant formula, the materials needed to prepare it safely, and clean infant feeding equipment are all included in the support. Donations of toddler milk or infant formula powder should not be requested, acknowledged, or distributed. Only official humanitarian agencies should purchase baby formula emergency supplies. In the event that the infant feeding supplies supplied by the state and local governments run out, the state may seek infant and toddler kits by submitting a Resource seek Form. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided the form.
Perform further feeding evaluations as required. Families can ask staff for information, materials, and help, so remind them. Help and encourage qualified families to sign up for a long-term program like WIC. Observe for mental health issues in shelter-seeking families. Emergencies can affect the feeding relationship between the caregiver and the infant and cause a great deal of stress for families. If feasible, offer on-site assistance; if not, make referrals to follow-up care for the family. Give information about how to care for kids during emergencies.