The last webinar within the series “Supporting mothers in proper nutrition of children in crisis” entitled “Human milk bank in emergency – donor milk as a bridge to mothers own milk” will take place online on Thursday, June 22 at 17:30 (Central European Time). The series is a part of the project implemented by the Human Milk Bank Foundation and partners on behalf of UNICEF.
In response to the urgent need to learn about and implement the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency (IYCF-E) guidelines in medical facilities in Poland, the Human Milk Bank Foundation, together with partners: Warsaw Medical University, FHI 360 and Medius sp. z o.o. are organizing a series of 6 webinars entitled: “Supporting Mothers in the Proper Nutrition of Children in Crisis.”
Thanks to the human milk banking, it is possible to feed babies born prematurely and hospitalized for a long time with human milk. However, in a crisis, human milk bank resources should also be available to children born at term, who, for various reasons, cannot be breastfed by their biological mothers. Milk banks should be involved in humanitarian aid directed to mothers of infants affected by a crisis. During the last webinar within the series “Supporting mothers in feeding children in a crisis”, dr. Kiersten Israel-Ballard and Kimberly Mansen will present global standards for the operation of human milk banks, the dynamics of their development and system limitations affecting unequal access to banked milk. Alessandro Iellamo will sho, how the potential of milk banks can be used in crisis situations. And dr. hab. Aleksandra Wesołowska will share her experience how, although human milk was available in milk banks, it was not given to children of mothers who were forbidden to breastfeed due to SARS-COV-2 or active COVID-19 infection. Unfortunately, in Poland the infrastructure of milk banks was not used to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and their mothers suffered for procedural reasons – we cannot allow this to happen in the future.
The trainings are based on the Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (OG-IYCF) developed by the International Working Group on IYCF-E, UNICEF and ENN.
The webinar series is organized within the framework of the project entitled Support and Promotion of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Appropriate Feeding Practices for Infants and Young Children of Ukrainian and Polish Mothers in Crisis Situation in Poland. The project is implemented by the Human Milk Bank Foundation on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF. The event is under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Health in Poland.
The webinar series is aimed at neonatologists, pediatricians, gynecologists, family doctors, midwives, nurses, nutritionists and lactation consultants.
Participation in the webinar series is free!
To register for the webinars visit: www.zywieniedzieciwkryzysie.medius.com.pl
