The Mother and Child Hospital Foundation in Albania plans to purchase a hospital grade breast pump for Tirana's state maternity hospital. Our staff will train the Albanian nurses and provide educational resources to NICU moms. Additionally, we will purchase a breastmilk refrigerator and breast pump supplies to make this initiative safe and sustainable.
The WHO states that breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to improve child health and survival. At the state maternity hospital in Albania, there are currently no breast pumps available to mothers with infants in the NICU. Nearly all NICU babies in Albania receive formula due to lack of education and equipment. Help us change this by giving to help us purchase a breast pump for the hospital.
Without proper education and access to breast pumps, many mothers do not express breast milk for their babies in the NICU. NICU infants fed formula are 77% more likely to get necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a fatal disease for vulnerable preemies. With access to a high quality breast pump, NICU moms will be able to express their 'liquid gold' and initiate the breastfeeding process when separated from their baby.
Our experience of working with maternal health has shown us that when a woman is informed and empowered, she parents better and is more capable of identifying potential health threats to her baby before they become fatal. We believe that by placing easily accessible resources in the hands of women and health professionals across Albania, we will directly contribute to reducing child mortality rates by an increasing awareness of the importance of perinatal education, infant care, and self-care.
