Wet nursing and donor human milk sharing in emergencies and disasters: A review

During emergencies and disasters infant survival can depend on their access to breastfeeding or human milk. Wet nursing and donor human milk sharing are options endorsed by the World Health Assembly (WHA). This study looks at regulatory environments for wet nursing and donor human milk sharing and considers the wider food security and resilience implications. Legislation and policies relating to wet nursing, donor human milk sharing and milk banking can support appropriate infant and young child feeding in emergencies responses (IYCF-E). However, in many countries there is a lack of legislative and regulatory clarity on protecting and supporting breastfeeding practices in these situations. This is true for all income country settings and geographic regions. High breastfeeding prevalence in a country can reduce exposure to food insecurity and risk for mothers and their children during emergencies. Regulatory clarity is also needed to protect safe wet nursing and donor human milk sharing, being an important step in developing protocols and plans for emergency preparedness and response. With human milk products becoming more available, there is also an urgent need to ensure full implementation of the IYCF-E Operational Guidance and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant WHA Resolutions.