URGENT CALL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS

URGENT CALL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS


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_ (http://www.hmbana.org/) . Additional information can be provided
from the United States Breastfeeding Committee at 202-367-1132
(_www.usbreastfeeding.org_ (http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/) ),
ILCA/USLCA at 1-800-452-2478 (_www.ilca.org_ (http://www.ilca.org/) or _www.uslca.org_
(http://www.uslca.org/) ), or La Leche League at 847-519-7730
(_www.llli.org_ (http://www.llli.org/) ) .