Hayek breastfeeding the baby in Africa Souce: Nightline
Would you share your breast milk with a starving child?
Salma Hayek did while traveling with crews of Nightline to bring publicity to the need for tetanus shots in developing countries like Sierra Leone. The story aired recently on Nighline.
"To most people in the United States, tetanus brings to mind rusty nails and a quick trip to the doctor's office for a shot. But in developing countries like Sierra Leone, maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) is a top cause of death among mothers and their babies," according to Nightline.
While on the trip Hayek was introduced to a tiny baby who was malnourished. Hayek who was still breastfeeding her daughter Valentina at the time, decided to help the baby by sharing breastmilk and breastffeding right on the spot. Here's a clip of the story from Nightline:
Sharing breastmilk is not a new concept. People have been doing it for years, like wetnurses, and there have even been recent spikes in moms breastfeeding for friends and family. But it is something discouraged by Le Leche League.
According to a newstory by KGO:
Although breast milk is the perfect food for babies, sharing breast milk could be risky and organizations such as the La Leche League discourage this practice. Breast milk is, after all, a body fluid, so sharing it, can be risky. Infections can pass through the milk, as well as some medications.
And, with some infections, most people don't know they have them, and yet they could pass a dangerous infection like hepatitis, HIV, and others through the milk.
But there are safe ways to share breastmilk... by donating milk to milk banks that screen the milk before sharing it. You can find more info on that if you're interested in participating from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.
Salma Hayek's trip to Sierra Leone from Nightline
Milk sharing from KGO
Milk sharing from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.
Comments
brava to Selma for the beautiful example she set for the mothers of sierra leone, who are often pressured to stop breastfeeding too soon by their husbands, however their babies need it the most. I thought it was absolutely wonderful. ...and no, I wouldn't breastfeed a friend's baby or let anyone else breastfeed my healthy baby, but everyone needs to consider the circumstance she was a part of. <thunderous applause for Selma!>
Well, her heart is in the right place. La Leche League has a good point though.
I think it is an amazing, selfless gesture by Salma. What a wonderful expression to the world of the importance of giving to children in need.
Thanks for bringing this story to us. I think it was generous and an amazing example of the link between mothers of all countries. I'm sure La Leche is concerned about all women sharing breast milk, and it's great to know that it can be screened. But this has been done for centuries with few ill effects. If my baby was starving you can bet I'd want another healthy mother there to feed him or her. It just depends as Amy said on the circumstances. Again, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I know she meant well, but this makes me sad because that baby's eyes look so sad. You know that Selma Hayek is not going to be there tomorrow and the next day, and so the baby is going to continue to starve. That just makes me sad because this one time doesn't solve the problem for that poor little starving baby.
I know about the pampers thing but I can't stand them and was wondering how I could donate money to the people so they can get their tetanus shots?
The danger of sharing breastmilk seems to be that the mother might pass something unhealthy to the baby, not the other way around, and presumably Selma knows if she has a disease she could pass on to that baby. Therefore, I don't see a think wrong with what she did.
Yes, it's only a temporary stopgap measure, but so is staunching the blood flow of an open wound with whatever you have on hand. She gave the tot the best nutrition it has ever had, and I applaud that.
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