Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week October 1-7
Written by admin, September 26, 2013
September 26, 2013 – Community Invited to Oct. 1 Children’s Story Corner and Annual Record-Breaking “Latch On” Event on Oct. 5
This year in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week from October 1-7, 2013, Peterborough Public Health and its partners have planned two community events to promote the unparalleled health benefits of breast milk for babies.
Firstly, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, will be the special guest in the Children’s Story Corner at the Peterborough Public Library on Tuesday, October 1 at 10:45 a.m. Dr. Salvaterra will read the first story of the day, entitled Best Milk, to all children in attendance. No registration is required, and all parents and caregivers and their children are invited to join in the fun.
Next on Saturday, October 5 at 10:30 a.m., Public Health together with the Peterborough Breastfeeding Coalition, is calling on all breastfeeding mothers in the area to set a new world record for simultaneous breastfeeding at the 2013 Breastfeeding Challenge event at Galaxy Theatres.
This event rallies nursing women to “latch on” at 11:00 a.m. local time and be counted toward two new world records, including the most mothers breastfeeding simultaneously at one location, and the most mothers breastfeeding at the same time in a province, territory or state. Following this, families will be treated to a free movie entitled the ‘Rise of the Guardians’. This endeavour is part of the 2013 Global Breastfeeding Challenge, an annual international event led by the Quintessence Foundation who will post the results on their website www.babyfriendly.ca .
“It’s important that nursing mothers and their families gather together and celebrate the importance of breastfeeding, and that they are supported by their community,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “Breastfeeding provides children with nutritional, emotional, immunological, anti-allergenic, and developmental benefits for as long as a child is breastfed, and has lasting effects even into adulthood.”
The 2013 Breastfeeding Challenge is just one way Public Health encourages breastfeeding in the community as part of its commitment to being Baby Friendly. The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global strategy that encourages health care facilities to implement specific practices which protect, promote and support breastfeeding. The Public Health was designated Baby Friendly in July 2008, becoming the second one in the province to receive this designation, and is in the process of re-designation. All public health units in Ontario are required to have BFI designation according to provincial accountability agreements.
For more information about the health benefits of breastfeeding and local breastfeeding supports, visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and under the “My Life & Health” section for Parents and Caregivers, click on “Breastfeeding”.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Dawn Hanes
Public Health Nurse
(705) 743-1000, ext. 289
dhanes@peterboroughpublichealth.ca