Infants are suffering serious bouts of diarrhoea, and are in some cases dying, from infant formula provided in emergency situations, according to a coalition of international aid groups and government agencies that is calling for the promotion of breast-feeding.

“Inappropriate use in emergencies of breast milk substitutes, often received as unsolicited donations, endangers the lives of infants and young children,” according to a statement issued after a March meeting in Bali, Indonesia. It calls for systems to prevent and control such donations as in emergency situations clean water and opportunities to clean feeding bottles are lacking. Diarrhoea among children under two using baby formula after the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006 showed a six-fold increase.

Kirsty McIvor, UNICEF Indonesia’s spokeswoman, told IRIN, “A lot of the time the donations are well meant. There’s a misconception that in emergency situations women’s milk dries up,” and while stress can cause women’s milk to temporarily evaporate, it eventually returns.

Dr. Rotigliano, UNICEF representative to Indonesia, states in the press release, “We know through decades of medical research… In the first six months of life, [breast milk] is the only food and drink a baby needs.”

Contact: UNICEF Indonesia, jakarta@unicef.org, http://www.unicef.org/indonesia

Source: IRIN, 9 Apr 2008 ; UNICEF, 21 Mar 2008

Tags: east asia & pacific, water quality, water-related diseases