Local Radio Broadcasts Encourage Haitian Moms To Breastfeed

Save the Children is attempting to protect infant earthquake survivors in Haiti by issuing radio broadcasts in Creole that urge new mothers to breastfeed instead of using baby formula made with dirty water, according to the organization's Web site.

Save the Children is making these critical communications available to other health-focused groups that are also working with local communities affected by the disaster. Its health staff in Haiti will translate other public health messages over the coming days and coordinate with partners and communities to spread the word about keeping children healthy in the wake of the quake. Save the Children also is training midwives, health workers and nutritional educators to reach out to pregnant and new mothers at makeshift camps in Port-au-Prince, Léogâne and Jacmel.

The organization hopes that infant death rates from diarrhea and other illnesses from dirty water will be reduced if mothers are encouraged to breast feed their children until they reach at least six months in age. The campaign also seeks to dispel myths that discourage mothers from breastfeeding, such as the idea that stress or lack of proper food will produce bad milk.

To read the full story, visit Savethechildren.org.