Press Release
AUGUST 1st, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
|
CONTACT: Susan Smith
PHONE:(850) 245-4111
|
TALLAHASSEE, FL – The
Florida Department of Health
(DOH) and the Special
Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC) celebrate
August 1-7 as World
Breastfeeding Week 2008.
In conjunction with the 2008 Olympics, this year’s theme is
Mother Support: Going for
the Gold. Through this
message, World Breastfeeding
Week advocates call for
increased support to
breastfeeding mothers so
that these mothers can
provide a golden start for
their children. Just as an
Olympic athlete needs
support from family, friends
and coaches to succeed, the
breastfeeding mother also
needs the support and
encouragement of family,
friends, the healthcare
system, workplace,
government policies and
legislation, so that she
will have the confidence,
correct information and
tools to breastfeed her
child successfully.
Breastfeeding’s positive effects provide critical health
benefits to both the mother
and her breastfed baby,
while saving healthcare
dollars. Mounting evidence
demonstrates that
breastfeeding exclusivity
and duration contribute to
significantly better health
outcomes for infants,
children and mothers..
For
infants and children,
exclusive breastfeeding
significantly reduces the
risk of conditions such as:
-
Acute otitis media (ear
infections)
-
Asthma
-
Obesity
-
Type 1 and 2 diabetes
-
Childhood leukemia
-
Sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS)
For women, breastfeeding is
associated with a reduced
risk of conditions such as:
-
Type 2 diabetes
-
Breast cancer
-
Ovarian cancer
-
Postpartum depression
The American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends that
mothers exclusively
breastfeed for the first six
months of life. They also
recommend that mothers
continue breastfeeding, with
the addition of appropriate
complementary foods until at
least the baby’s first
birthday.
The Florida WIC and Nutrition Services Public Health Program
actively promotes and
supports breastfeeding.
Local WIC agencies offer
resources and staff to help
breastfeeding mothers. Many
local WIC agencies have
International Board
Certified Lactation
Consultants with a
specialized knowledge of
breastfeeding. Some agencies
also provide peer
counselors. These women,
chosen from the same
socio/economic/ethnic group
as WIC clients, have
successfully breastfed their
own babies and received
training to support other
moms.
DOH promotes, protects and improves the health of all people
in Florida. For more
information about the
Florida WIC program, call
1-800-342-4556 or visit
www.FloridaWIC.org .
To learn about
breastfeeding, visit
www.lalecheleague.org,
www.womenshealth.gov
or the African-American
Breastfeeding Alliance’s
website at
www.aabaonline.com.
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