Ochsner Supports World Breastfeeding Week
NEW ORLEANS - Emergencies, including hurricanes and floods, can happen anywhere in the world, and during a disaster infants and young children are especially vulnerable to illness and death. In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7), Ochsner obstetricians and pediatricians are encouraging families to embrace breastfeeding as a lifeline and a shield to protect infants in emergencies; from natural disasters to the flu pandemic.
"In an emergency, hurricanes being the most common in our region, infants are one of the most vulnerable populations to infection," said Cindy Boudreaux, RN, Ochsner Medical Center. "Often times, clean water is not readily available, as well as electricity, and infants are five times more likely to die in an emergency, primarily due to the inability to properly sterilize the baby's formula. Breast milk is always available. It's clean, and the mother/baby contact helps calm the infant by lowering stress cortisol levels in both mom and baby."
Boudreaux adds that the antibodies in human milk also lower the risk of diarrhea and infections that can occur. The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and continued breastfeeding for two years or beyond - and its even more critical in emergencies.
This year, World Breastfeeding Week focuses on making sure families are prepared to continue breastfeeding in a natural disaster, an economic crisis or any other emergency. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that breastfeeding was found to have a significant impact on both infant and maternal health; mothers enjoy a reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes in the mother, and infants a reduced risk of:
• Acute ear infections
• Lower respiratory tract infections
• Asthma
• Obesity
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes
• Childhood leukemia
• Infant death syndrome
"Even smaller emergencies such as a job loss can hurt a family's resources and make purchasing expensive formula very difficult," said Boudreaux. "Because emergency situations don't give us much warning, it's important for moms to start a breastfeeding routine from day one." The AAP, among others, recommends that babies exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six months of life.
Ochsner nurses provide many resources to help new moms; including a "Warm Line" that provides telephone assistance to any breastfeeding mother in the community. For assistance from a board certified lactation consultant on staff at Ochsner, call 504-842-5210 for Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, 504-391-5195 for Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank, or 504-464-8345 for Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner.
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