Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response.

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:46:57 +0000

Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response.

Tuesday, 4 August 2009, 1:14 pm
Press Release: La Leche League

La Leche League New Zealand
www.lalecheleague.org.nz

Media Release
3 August 2009

Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response. Are you ready?

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme is “Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response”, and one of its aims is to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding in emergencies.

During the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, a police officer in China made headlines by breastfeeding babies who had been orphaned or separated from their mothers

Officer Jiang Xiaojuan, a 29 year old mother to a six month old baby, said, “I am breastfeeding, so I can feed babies. I didn’t think of it much,” she said. “It is a mother’s reaction and a basic duty as a police officer to help.” At one point, Jiang was feeding nine babies. She possibly saved their lives.

Emergencies can happen anywhere in the world, and they destroy what is ‘normal,’ leaving infants and young children vulnerable to disease and death. Child mortality can soar from two to seventy times higher than average due to diarrhoea, respiratory illness and malnutrition. Breastfeeding is a life-saving intervention.

In New Zealand we are prone to natural disasters – floods, storms, earthquakes and volcanic activity. We never know what is around the corner, and it is important to be prepared. Access to shelter, neighbours, electricity, phone services, shops, medical care and reliable water can be disrupted.

A possible disaster pending at the moment is the swine flu epidemic. La Leche League endorses the statements by New Zealand health authorities which say, “Babies who are breastfed do not get as sick, and are sick less often, than babies who are not breastfed. Don’t stop breastfeeding if you are ill. Breastfeeding protects babies because breast milk passes on antibodies from the mother to her baby. Antibodies help fight off infection. Limit formula feeds if you can. If you are too sick to breastfeed, express milk and have someone give it to your baby.”

Barbara Sturmfels, Director of La Leche League New Zealand, says, “Even babies who have been weaned may be able to resume breastfeeding if formula feeding is not safe in a crisis. Any mothers in this situation are encouraged to hold their babies skin-to-skin and to feed them frequently – every two hours. A mother’s milk supply will increase gradually and the younger the baby the more rapid the establishment of a sufficient milk supply.”

During emergencies, mothers need active support to continue or re-establish breastfeeding. Many do not know that mothers can increase their milk supply, relactate after having stopped, and that wet-nursing may be an option as a temporary measure or if an infant is orphaned.

Supporting breastfeeding in non-emergency settings will strengthen mothers’ capacity to cope in an emergency. Breastfeeding support groups and programmes offering skilled breastfeeding assistance that are available at all times will be especially valuable during emergencies to provide accurate information and support.

World Breastfeeding Week runs from 1 to 7 August.

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Blankets Bring Ray Of Sunshine To Jaundice Babies

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:39:50 +0000

Blankets Bring Ray Of Sunshine To Jaundice Babies

Wednesday, 5 August 2009, 11:16 am
Press Release: Starship Foundation

Blankets Bring Ray Of Sunshine To Jaundice Babies

Baby Charlotte on a ‘BiliBlanket’ at Starship Children’s Hospital.

Newborn babies at Starship Children’s Hospital will soon benefit from lifesaving ‘BiliBlankets’ which are used for the treatment of babies suffering from jaundice.

Starship Foundation’s Fundraising Director Bobbie Brown, said the purchase of the two blankets was due to a recent donation of nearly $14,000 made by the Sovereign Sunshine initiative.

“A BiliBlanket is a portable phototherapy device which delivers up to 45 microwatts of therapeutic blue/white light whilst the baby is swaddled, held and cared for by parents and hospital staff,” Bobbie said.

Phototherapy is used to treat neonatal jaundice which is a yellowing of the skin and other tissues of the infant.

“Jaundice is fairly common in newborn babies and is due to the breakdown of red blood cells (which release bilirubin into the blood) and to the immaturity of the newborn’s liver (which cannot effectively metabolise the bilibrubin and prepare for excretion into the urine). The BiliBlanket is a comfortable and natural way for neonates to be treated for jaundice. It means they can be picked up, cuddled and moved around without needing to be hooked up to a machine or isolated in an incubator. The two new BiliBlankets will be used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“We are very grateful to Sovereign Sunshine and all the people who voted for us online for their generous donation. Sovereign Sunshine’s support along with that of our individual donors and corporate supporters enables us to provide children with the best we can give them, over and above what the government provides.”

Bobbie said it was a challenging time for all charities.

“At the Starship Foundation we are continuing to work hard to ensure that our fundraising programmes enable us to make the most of the ongoing technological advances, for the care and treatment of New Zealand children at Starship Hospital.”

The Sovereign Sunshine programme which is backed by Kiwi actress and mother of two, Greer Robson helps under-resourced children’s charities by providing them with funding. Each month the initiative focuses on a different charity group, with members of the public deciding via online voting which charity will receive the funding. Sovereign staff also play a part, by helping to raise funds for the different charities.

Sovereign Marketing Communications Manager, Richard Allen, said staff enjoy getting behind raising funds for the children’s charities each month.

“Sovereign is working together with the New Zealand public to make the future brighter for as many young New Zealanders as possible. We’re committed to making a difference and invite other New Zealanders to join us by voting online for their favourite charity each month.”

To find out more about Sovereign Sunshine or to vote for a charity visit www.sovereignsunshine.co.nz

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Midwives For You » News

Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response.

Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response.

Blankets Bring Ray Of Sunshine To Jaundice Babies

Blankets Bring Ray Of Sunshine To Jaundice Babies