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Infants and Hurricanes: What You Need to Know
Contributed by: Martin County Healthy Start Coalition on 6/30/2006

Feeding:
When an emergency occurs breastfeeding is one of the best options:
Breastfeeding protects babies from the risks of a contaminated water supply.
It provides protection against respiratory illnesses and diarrhea both which can be fatal in populations displaced by disaster.
Breastfeeding can relieve stress and anxiety for both mother and baby.
Suggestions for breastfeeding during a natural disaster:
Manual pumps allow breastfeeding mothers to express milk without the use of electricity and are recommended during power outages.
Breast milk should be stored in a cooler when there is no electricity. Breast milk that is not properly refrigerated should be deposed of.
If you experience a short power outage and your other frozen foods appear to be unthawed, frozen expressed milk should be safe.
Use baby formula if child is not breastfed:
If possible use ready to feed formula.
For powdered or concentrated formula use bottled water or boiled water to prepare the formula. As a last resort use treated water.
Clean feeding bottle and nipples with bottled, boiled or treated water before each use.
Wash your hands before preparing formula and before feeding baby. You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for washing your hands if the water supply is limited.
Temporary Sleeping Arrangements:
Even in emergency situations infants need safe sleeping arrangements:
A portable crib is the safest sleeping option in case you are displaced from your home.
Infants should not be placed on waterbeds or air mattresses at any time as suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome can occur.
Avoid bed sharing as infants can be suffocated. Instead have the baby sleep in the same room but in their own crib or portable crib.
Make sure infant is sleeping in a safe place away from any dangerous objects
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Martin County Healthy Start Coalition has posted 55 stories and 0 comments since joining on 3/22/2006. Martin County Healthy Start Coalition 's average story rating is 5.
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