Nepal government and the UNICEF have warned against untargeted distribution of breast milk substitutes in the quake-hit country, saying there is a common misconception that during emergencies many mothers are unable to breastfeed adequately due to stress and improper nutrition.
"A desire to help may result in the inappropriate donations of infant formula, other milk products and baby food. Stress can temporarily interfere with the flow of breast milk, however, it is not likely to inhibit breast-milk production, provided mothers and infants remain together," UNICEF and Nepal government said in a joint statement.
"There is a common misconception that in emergencies, many mothers can no longer breastfeed adequately due to stress or inadequate nutrition," the statement said.
"During an emergency donations of infant formula, other milk products and baby food are often made and are distributed to feed infants and young children without proper assessment of needs which endangers their lives," the statement said.
Further, health workers should not be given gifts, sample or any incentives that promote the distribution of infant formula samples to pregnant women, mothers of infants and young children, or members of their families, it said.
The decision to accept, procure, use or distribute infant formula and any type of baby food donations in an emergency must be made by the nutrition cluster in consultation with the Government of Nepal after a careful needs assessment.
"If supplies of infant formula or powdered milks and baby food are widely available as free donation, mothers who might otherwise breastfeed might needlessly start giving artificial feeds," the recent statement said.
"This exposes infants and young children to increased risk of infectious disease, malnutrition and death, especially from diarrhoea when clean water is scarce," it said.
Two major earthquakes of 7.9-magnitude and 7.3-magnitude jolted Nepal in the last three weeks and claimed over 8,000 lives and flattened thousands of buildings besides destroying villages.
