Help provide food for newborns of Sumy Region

Unfortunately, during the war, many babies are born in conditions that are not what their parents wanted them to be. Constant rocket and artillery shelling of the border region of Sumy forces women to raise newborn children in conditions of lack of elementary basic needs and require a long stay in bomb shelters or basements.

In the conditions of war, mother's milk can save a child's life, so it is very important to establish and maintain breastfeeding after childbirth. After all, this is the only food for the baby that is always available in any place. Feeding a child, which depends on the formula, is a complex process that depends on elementary things that have become inaccessible to many because of the war – clean warm water, clean dishes, clean hands. Sounds creepy. But these are the realities of today. Numerous studies show that almost 95% of infant deaths in emergency situations are the result of diarrhea due to contaminated water and unsanitary conditions. In times of war, infant formula and clean drinking water may simply not be available or parents may not be able to afford it financially, leading to infant starvation.

Breastfeeding is not only about survival, but also about the psychological state of both baby and mother and protection against infectious and respiratory diseases that are common among babies in emergency situations. Breastfeeding reduces stress and anxiety in both babies and mothers, and close skin-to-skin contact helps women keep their babies warm.One drop of breast milk consists of thousands of living cells! Even a glass of the mixture does not contain any…

It is extremely important to breastfeed premature babies and babies who are born weak and sick. It has been proven that breastfeeding contributes to the reduction of the child's hospitalization period and is a preventive measure for many accompanying diseases for such babies. Even if the child is unable to suckle on her own, she is fed milk through a tube until she is able to breastfeed on her own.

The goal of our project is to provide the most essential need of babies all over Sumshchyna for breast milk, which is the most useful and safest food for them, by purchasing a KITETT(R) FISIO(R) PRO clinical breast pump complete with KOLOR(R) pumping sets and handing it over to Sumy regional clinical perinatal center*. The clinical breast pump plays an important role in starting and maintaining milk production in the mother, helps mothers maintain and establish breastfeeding.

Thanks to this project, more than 1,000 mothers and 1,000 babies annually (including those born prematurely) from the Sumy region will be able to receive help and establish breastfeeding, providing newborn babies with food in any conditions that currently exist in the border military region and taking care of their healthy development in the future.

Together, let's help our women to take care of healthy babies, because they are the future of Ukraine!

*Full name of the hospital: communal non-profit enterprise of the Sumy Regional Council "Regional Clinical Perinatal Center".