Why is infant feeding an important issue in emergencies?
The benefits of breastfeeding have been amply demonstrated under non-emergency conditions. Until the age of about six months, an infant who is exclusively breastfed on demand has all the nourishment s/he requires to grow and develop normally, as well as considerable protection against infection. In the conditions characteristic of most emergencies, breastfeeding becomes even more important for infant nutrition and health. The resources needed for safe artificial feeding – such as water, fuel and adequate quantities of appropriate breastmilk substitutes – are usually scarce in emergencies. Artificial feeding in these circumstances increases the risk of diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition, which in turn substantially increase the risk of infant death. In an emergency, the adequate supply of appropriate food is obviously of fundamental importance. A common belief is that in emergencies it is infants who are at greatest risk of becoming malnourished – but this is not true of breastfed inf
