News Moms Need

In emergency situations, babies have an increased need for the disease-fighting factors and the comfort provided by breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is especially recommended during a disaster because it is naturally clean. Refrigeration, bottles, or water for preparing formula are not necessary.

Breast milk is the best food for a baby during the first year of life. In emergencies, it’s usually best for the baby if the mother can continue to breastfeed. If pre-prepared formula is unavailable or water supplies are unsafe, breastfeeding is especially wise. Breast milk can be especially good for premature babies.

While stress may affect milk supply, breastfeeding itself can help to reduce stress. When you breastfeed, your body creates hormones that are calming. Do your best to make breastfeeding time as relaxed as you can under the circumstances.

If breastfeeding has been interrupted, the La Leche League provides information to help you start again. The International Lactation Consultant Association also provides help with breastfeeding. Call (919) 787-5181.

Some women may find it impossible to continue to breastfeed. If this occurs, wean the baby as slowly as possible. This is important for both your health and the baby’s. Hold and cuddle your baby as much as possible to reduce your baby’s stress. In a disaster, pre-prepared formula is recommended because of concerns about water safety.

The La Leche League provides information about breastfeeding for women affected by disasters. 

If you are staying in a shelter and need help with breastfeeding, ask the medical staff for assistance.

If breastfeeding is not possible, have a supply of single-serving, ready-to-feed formula. Ready-to-feed formula does not need mixing, and water should not be added to it. When using ready-to-feed formula, pour the needed amount into a bottle, and throw away the formula that the baby does not drink if you cannot refrigerate it. After it is opened, the formula must be refrigerated.

Regarding water for drinking, cooking and bathing, listen to and follow public announcements. Local authorities will tell you if tap water is safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing. If the water is not safe to use, follow local instructions to use bottled water or to boil or disinfect tap water for cooking, cleaning or bathing.

If tap water is not safe, boiling is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. To kill most organisms, bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
 
If you can’t boil unsafe tap water, you can treat it with chlorine tablets or iodine tablets. Follow the directions that come with the tablets. Keep treated water out of reach of children and toddlers.

If you have a baby and are not breastfeeding, ready-to-feed formula is recommended because of concerns about water safety. Do not use water treated with iodine or chlorine tablets to prepare powdered formulas.

Moms should do their best to drink at least six to eight glasses (eight-ounce servings) of water, juice or milk every day.

For more information about caring for a newborn after a disaster, read this article.

Halloween is coming and so, apparently, is a storm to match The Perfect Storm. Radio and TV weather reports have hurricane Sandy set to impact millions of lives all along the east coast of the U.S. Are you ready? Are you taking precautions should your basement flood or you lose power for several days?

The needs of a pregnant woman during a disaster are unique. Prepare as much as you can before a disaster strikes. This will help you to stay healthy and safe. Follow these tips:
- Make sure to let your health care provider’s office (doctor, midwife or nurse-practitioner) know where you will be.
- Make a list of all prescription medications and prenatal vitamins that you are taking.
- Get a copy of your prenatal records from your health care provider.
- If you have a case manager or participate in a program such as Healthy Start or Nurse-Family Partnership, let your case manager know where you are going. Give him or her a phone number to use to contact you.
- If you have a high-risk pregnancy or you are close to delivery, check with your health care provider to determine the safest option for you.

You still need to follow any evacuation and preparation instructions given by your state, but here is a link to some special things to consider during and after a disaster.

If you have recently had a baby or you are caring for a newborn, this article is designed to help you prepare for a disaster. If you are caring for an infant and have questions about the health effects of a potential disaster, please talk with a health care professional.

The media may be a bit dramatic at times, but they are right about one thing. Now is the time to make preparations and have a plan in place for your family to follow in case you ever need it.

Whenever I turned on the TV over the weekend, I saw a lot of coverage of tropical storm Isaac and its threat to Florida and the Republican National Convention and then New Orleans. Memories of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina still are fresh in everyone’s mind and the press isn’t letting us forget. Drama and politics aside, however, we need to remember that we are in hurricane season. For all of you who live along the coasts that may be affected by a hurricane, it is important to remember safety preparation tips.

The needs of a pregnant woman during a disaster are unique. Prepare as much as you can before a disaster strikes. This will help you to stay healthy and safe. Follow these tips:
- Make sure to let your health care provider’s office (doctor, midwife or nurse-practitioner) know where you will be.
- Make a list of all prescription medications and prenatal vitamins that you are taking.
- Get a copy of your prenatal records from your health care provider.
- If you have a case manager or participate in a program such as Healthy Start or Nurse-Family Partnership, let your case manager know where you are going. Give him or her a phone number to use to contact you.
- If you have a high-risk pregnancy or you are close to delivery, check with your health care provider to determine the safest option for you.

You still need to follow any evacuation and preparation instructions given by your state, but here is a link to some special things to consider during and after a disaster.

If you have recently had a baby or you are caring for a newborn, this article is designed to help you prepare for a disaster. If you are caring for an infant and have questions about the health effects of a potential disaster, please talk with a health care professional.

The media may be a bit dramatic at times, but they are right about one thing. Now is the time to make preparations and have a plan in place for your family to follow in case you ever need it.

For those of us impacted by flooding from wicked weather, it is important to know that a newly published study revealed that exposure to household mold in infancy greatly increases a child’s risk of developing asthma.

Researchers with the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study analyzed seven years of data collected from 176 children who were followed from infancy. These children were considered at high risk of developing asthma because of a family medical history of asthma.

By age seven, 18% of the children in the study developed asthma. Those who lived in homes with mold during infancy were three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7 than those who were not exposed to mold when they were infants.

“Early life exposure to mold seems to play a critical role in childhood asthma development,” lead author Tiina Reponen, a professor of environmental health at the University of Cincinnati, said in a university news release. ”Genetic factors are also important to consider in asthma risk, since infants whose parents have an allergy or asthma are at the greatest risk of developing asthma.”

“This study should motivate expectant parents—especially if they have a family history of allergy or asthma—to correct water damage and reduce the mold burden in their homes to protect the respiratory health of their children,” added Reponen.

If you have suffered water damage, take care to make sure you have no mold growing in your home. This link will take you to articles from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protectioin Agency (EPA) on cleaning up mold.

Hurricane season is upon us and the first of the season, Hurricane Irene, is headed north toward the U.S. Irene has left Puerto Rico and is due to hit Florida either late Thursday or early Friday morning.

For all of you who live along the coasts that may be affected by a hurricane, it is important to remember safety preparation tips. The needs of a pregnant woman during a disaster are unique. You still need to follow any evacuation and preparation instructions given by your state, but here is a link to some special things to consider.

If you have recently had a baby or you are caring for a newborn, this article is designed to help you prepare for a disaster. If you are caring for an infant and have questions about the health effects of the disaster, please talk with a health care professional.

Now is the time to make preparations and have a plan in place for your family to follow in case you ever need it.

If the authorities are evacuating your city, please get your bags ready.  Don’t wait.  This storm is going to be a big one.  I have pulled together a list of things for you to take with you if you have a baby.  There is also more detailed information on preparing for a disaster if you are caring for an infant on our site. 

 If you have any questions or concerns, leave me a comment.  I’ll be watching for it.

 Several pacifiers to help soothe your baby.

• Diapers (you will need about 70 a week for an infant).
• A baby blanket.
• A baby carrier because there may not be a crib or bassinet for your baby once you arrive at your destination.
• Extra clothes for your baby because these may be hard to find.
• It can be loud in shelters and hospitals. Bring anything that could help soothe you and your baby.
• Food for your baby.
• Hand sanitizer.
• Rectal thermometer and lubricant.
• Non-aspirin liquid pain reliever
• Car seat

Take care.  Be safe.