Save the Children Educating Haitian Mothers

Westport-based Save the Children has launched Creole-spoken radio broadcasts in Haiti urging new mothers to nurse their infants rather than feed them baby formula mixed with dirty water.

The tainted formula mixture can cause infants to get sick with diarrhea, one of the leading killers of children around the world, according to Save the Children.

The global humanitarian organization is making these and other critical communications available to health-focused groups also working to help those affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince Jan. 12, according to a news release. Save the Children 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 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.

"Newborns and infants are very vulnerable during emergencies, especially from diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition. But mothers can take simple steps to protect their baby's health through exclusive and proper breastfeeding," Kathryn Bolles, Save the Children's emergency health and nutrition director, said in a news release. "Breast milk provides essential nutrients and strengthens a baby's immunity, protecting the baby from other illnesses."

The health messages encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed babies under 6 months old, and to continue to breastfeed children until age 2.

"Mothers may not be aware of the threats that infant formula and other supplements pose to their babies. Tainted water used to mix the formula and unsanitary bottles or cups can cause a baby to get sick with diarrhea, which can kill," Bolles said in the release. "We hope more Haitian mothers will hear our health messages and be encouraged to breastfeed their babies.  We also are suggesting mothers seek out support and counseling from organizations like Save the Children if they are having difficulty breastfeeding their baby."

The awareness campaign also seeks to dispel the myths that may discourage mothers from breastfeeding, among them stress or lack of proper food will cause a mother to produce bad milk or no milk. Instead, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed more often, which will allow them to produce more milk for their baby. 

Even before the earthquake, survival rates for young Haitian children were the worst in the Western Hemisphere, according to the news release. Nearly 1 in 10 children were dying before the age of 5 from preventable and treatable causes like diarrhea and pneumonia.  

To contribute to Save the Children's efforts in Haiti, click here.

You can donate any amount at www.savethechildren.org or by calling 1-800-728-3843 or 1-203-221-4030.

Or donate $10 by texting "SAVE" to 20222 ( U.S. Only).

Click here to learn more about the emergency response to the earthquake in Haiti.