URGENT CALL FOR
HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS
The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA),
United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation
Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association
(ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) are jointly issuing an
urgent call for human milk donations for premature infants in Haiti, as well as
sick and premature infants in the United States.
This week the first shipment of human milk from mothers in the
United States will be shipped to the U.S. Navy Ship “Comfort” stationed outside
Haiti. “Comfort” is currently set up with a neonatal intensive care unit and
medical personnel to provide urgent care to victims of the earthquake. An
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant stationed at the U.S. Navy
base in Bethesda, MD is assisting with providing breast pump equipment and
supplies to the “Comfort.” Dr. Erika Beard-Irvine, pediatric neonatologist, is
on board the “Comfort” to coordinate distribution of the milk to infants in
need. HMBANA, USBC, ILCA/USLCA, and LLL are responding to requests to provide
milk for both premature infants and at-risk mothers who have recently delivered
babies on board the U.S.N.S. Comfort, but an urgent need exists for additional
donations.
At the current time, the infrastructure to deliver human milk on
land to Haiti infants has not yet been established. As soon as that
infrastructure is in place, additional donations will be provided to older
infants.
Mothers who are willing to donate human milk should contact their
regional Mothers’ Milk Bank of HMBANA. A list of regional milk banks is
available at the HMBANA website at www.hmbana.org.
Currently milk banks are already low on donor milk. New milk
donations will be used for both Haiti victims as well as to replenish donor
supplies to continue to serve sick and premature infants in the U.S. Donor milk
provides unique protection for fragile preterm infants. Financial donations are
also strongly encouraged to allow HMBANA, a nonprofit organization, to continue
serving infants in need.
UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Emergency Nutrition
Network, and medical professionals all recommend that breastfeeding and human
milk be used for infants in disasters or emergencies. Human milk is life-saving
due to its disease prevention properties. It is safe, clean, and does not
depend on water which is often unavailable or contaminated in an emergency.
Relief workers, health care providers, and other volunteers are urged to
provide support for breastfeeding mothers to enable them to continue
breastfeeding, and to assist pregnant and postpartum women in initiating and
sustaining breastfeeding.
For more information, contact HMBANA at 408-998-4550 or www.hmbana.org .
Additional information can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding
Committee at 202-367-1132 (www.usbreastfeeding.org),
ILCA/USLCA at 1-800-452-2478 (www.ilca.org or www.uslca.
