When Zara (not her real name), left Syria to seek refuge in Lebanon with her five children, she was in desperate need of help. Her youngest daughter, just thirteen months old, was frequently ill and not receiving the proper nutrition necessary for her growth. Feeding the baby in unsanitary conditions was having a negative impact on her health.
Fortunately for Zara, after arriving with her children at a refugee settlement in Lebanon, she was able to connect with one of IOCC’s infant and young child feeding (IYCF) specialists. The specialist provided Zara with counseling on sanitary feeding practices, as well as necessary nutritional screening.
After Zara received IYCF guidance from an IOCC specialist, she made the decision to stop feeding her daughter infant formula solely in a bottle, which she discovered had been the main source of infection. She shared, “The specialist helped me a lot and gave me all the needed information on how and what to feed my daughter in such a critical situation, such as resorting to cup feeding and ways of introducing and cooking complementary food needed for her age.” Thanks to this help from IOCC, Zara’s daughter has begun to recover from malnutrition, and is no longer ill from repeat infections.
