Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Middlesex-London Health Unit
World Breasfeeding Week 2015: Making Breastfeeding Work...At Work
London, ON – World Breastfeeding Week 2015 kicks off tomorrow and runs through Wednesday, October 7th. For this year, the annual week that promotes and highlights the importance of breastfeeding is turning its focus to the workplace. By concentrating on how breastfeeding provides the best nutrition to support immune system development, as well as overall growth and development, World Breastfeeding Week aims to encourage mothers to continue to breastfeed when they return to work or school.
While most mothers in London and Middlesex County breastfeed their babies initially, the number drops significantly over the months following a child’s birth. Although about 90% of mothers begin breastfeeding their infants, the rate falls to 52% after six months, and then to just 17% by the baby’s first birthday. This is in contrast to Health Canada’s recommendation that mothers breastfeed their children exclusively for the first six months of life, with continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond. Demonstrating how breastfeeding can continue after a mother’s return to work, and providing support to encourage her to do so, are important to providing a child with the best possible start in life.
“Moms often have questions about why and how they can continue breastfeeding when they return to work or school, which is why we provide as much support as possible to help them meet their breastfeeding goals,” says Laura Dueck, Public Health Nurse with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “Breastfeeding continues to be important for a growing child when moms return to the workforce or studies. We can help ease that transition for mothers who want to keep breastfeeding when they go back to work.”
With the mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of breastfeeding for infants and children, health organizations, including the Middlesex-London Health Unit, are increasingly committed to helping families make informed decisions about feeding their babies and to support breastfeeding for as long as a mother wants.
The Health Unit provides a number of resources, including a video series on its website, which are designed to provide information and support to help families reach their breastfeeding goals. Families can access the information they need easily, at anytime, from anywhere, by visiting www.healthunit.com/breastfeeding.
In addition to the resources on its website, the Health Unit provides families with the opportunity to speak directly with a Public Health Nurse through its Health Connection phone line (519-850-2280), or at its Well Baby Drop-ins. Families can also visit the Health Unit’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/middlesex.london.health.unit to participate in discussions during World Breastfeeding Week .
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty
Communications Manager
Middlesex-London Health Unit
519-663-5317 ext 2469
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