Media messages and the needs of infants and young children after Cyclone Nargis and the WenChuan Earthquake

Abstract

Infants and young children are vulnerable in emergencies. The media plays an important role in aid delivery and has a positive impact when reports are accurate. However, the media has been implicated in encouraging harmful aid in the form of donations of infant formula and other milk products. Internet-based media reports were collected after Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the WenChuan Earthquake in China (2008) and examined for content related to infant and young child feeding. Common messages identified included that: babies are vulnerable; stress prevents breastfeeding; and providing infant formula saves lives. Messages rarely reported included that: artificial feeding is dangerous; and breastfeeding protects infants. This analysis suggests that current patterns of media reporting may encourage harmful aid and increase child morbidity and mortality. Aid organisations should encourage the media to report accurately on the needs of infant and young children in emergencies so as to improve aid delivery.

Flooding: what is the impact on pregnancy and child health?

“…Breastfeeding is of critical importance during flooding emergencies. Artificial feeding at such times is not only difficult and requires substantial resources, but also it is dangerous to the infant because it increases the risk of diarrhoea, malnutrition, infection, and death (Adhisivam et al, ; Mach et al, ; Arvelo et al, ; Creek et al, ; Gribble et al, ; Gribble, ). Furthermore, there is a high level of risk associated with the use of infant formula and other breastmilk substitutes, particularly in countries where there is no universal supply of clean water or refrigerators for storage.…”

“…The feeding practices of children in flooding situations pose an additional risk. Infants who are not breastfed will be particularly at risk owing to contaminated water, interrupted infant formula supplies, a lack of refrigeration, and limited access to cleaning agents and hygienic preparation facilities (Gribble et al, ; Gribble, ).…”

Finding the signal in the noise: Could social media be utilized for early hospital notification of multiple casualty events?

“…In fact, Rodriguez et al note that ‘effective disaster communication may prevent a disaster or lessen its impact, whereas ineffective disaster communication may cause a disaster or make its effects worse [ 20 ].” As an example, in the SF Asiana airplane crash, the vast majority of the early information from the event was erroneous [ 21 ]. ‘Disaster myths’ are harmful and they can alter the way a community responds to an event [ 22 , 23 ]. Although people do not intend to mislead, disasters are emotional making perception of facts often skewed [ 23 , 24 ].…”

Food security for infants and young children: an opportunity for breastfeeding policy?

“…Guidelines have been developed for international aid agencies to support breastfeeding mothers in emergencies and prevent the donation and distribution of breast milk substitutes that destabilize breastfeeding practices [ 139 , 143 ]. However these guidelines were not observed in the aftermath of earthquakes in the Asia Pacific region (Yogyakarta and Central Java in 2006, Sichuan Province in 2008 and the north-east Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2009) [ 142 ], Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008 [ 144 ] and the Haiti earthquake in 2010 when large amounts of infant formula were distributed despite the use of baby tents to maintain breastfeeding in the latter [ 145 , 146 ]. Outbreaks of Ebola virus in West Africa in 2014 present new challenges to breastfeeding [ 147 ].…”