Mother Support:
Going For The Gold Everyone Wins!
World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7, 2008)
What is World Breastfeeding Week?
World Breastfeeding Week is a
celebration that began in 1990 with the
 signing of the Innocenti
Declaration signed by the participants at the WHO/UNICEF meeting on
Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative on the Protection,
Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding. The Innocenti Declaration lists
the benefits of breastfeeding and also specifies global and governmental
breastfeeding goals. The revised version of the Innocenti Declaration
(2005) asks for all to: Empower women in their own right, and as mothers
and providers of breastfeeding support and information to other women.
The theme for 2008 is: Mother Support: GOING FOR THE GOLD.
For World Breastfeeding Week 2008, ‘gold’ represents the best effort an
individual or group makes in protecting & supporting breastfeeding
mothers. This theme focuses on supporting women in their efforts to do
what is most important for their children’s health: early & exclusive
breastfeeding. A mother’s need for support is compared to an Olympic
athlete’s need for support. Like Olympic athletes, breastfeeding mothers
combine determination & commitment with the support from family, lactation
educators, other mothers and the government in order to be successful.
Why celebrate World Breastfeeding Week?
World Breastfeeding Week emphasizes
what every mother deserves, that is to receive the best, most accurate
breastfeeding information in a timely manner. Every mother also deserves
encouragement, support and skilled assistance, to help them have a
successful and fulfilling breastfeeding experience.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action [WABA], American
Public Health Association [APHA] & La Leche League International (LLLI)
lists the objectives of World Breastfeeding Week 2008 as:
- To expand awareness of the need for and the value
of providing support to a breastfeeding mother
- To disseminate updated information about support
for breastfeeding mothers
- To create optimal conditions for the provision of
mother support in all circles of support (Family & Social Network,
Healthcare, Workplace & Employment, Government & Legislation and
Response to Crises or Emergency).
- To raise awareness that breastfeeding is the GOLD
STANDARD for infant feeding and that the lack of breastfeeding affects
the child, mother, community and health care system.
- To encourage and reinforce the recommendations that
infants receive no other food or drink besides breast milk for the
first 6 months of life (exclusive breastfeeding), with continued
breastfeeding for at least 1 to 2 years of life.
When & where is World Breastfeeding Week celebrated?
The official World Breastfeeding Week
is the first week of August every year; however, celebrations are held
during the entire month of August. It is celebrated in 120 countries on
various dates. In some countries, celebrations range from May to
September.
How is the Palm Beach County Health Department
[PBCHD] celebrating World Breastfeeding Week?
The PBCHD clinics celebrate the whole
month of August for World Breastfeeding Week and honor staff for all the
work they do to promote and support breastfeeding. Some clinics choose one
day during August when breastfeeding mothers are honored and thanked for
their role providing their children with the GOLD STANDARD in nutrition.
Who can participate in World Breastfeeding Week?
- ANYONE involved in supporting, encouraging,
educating and protecting a mother’s right and a mother’s efforts to
breastfeed her child.
- ANYONE involved in improving breastfeeding
practices for both mother and child.
Local Palm Beach County Breastfeeding Activities and
Resources
As designated 2008 projects, The
Breastfeeding Coalition of PBC will be providing breastfeeding referral
information to all PBC prenatal providers and recognizing businesses and
organizations that are identified as breastfeeding-friendly work sites
according to the HRSA guidelines. Anyone may refer to the Breastfeeding
Coalition of PBC website which includes national/international links and
local La Leche League and IBCLC referral information:
For more information about World
Breastfeeding Week, visit the Web site at
www.waba.org.my
and/or
http://www.lllusa.org/.
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this page
Palm Beach County:
Florenzia Davis, PhD,MS,RD,LD/N
Senior Public Health Nutritionist
(561) 671-4000 x 4048 |
