World Breastfeeding Event a Success!
Written by admin, October 1, 2012
September 29 was a great day for breastfeeding as 34 mothers nursed 37 babies as part of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week Global Challenge. One mother nursed twins while two other women were tandem nursing. This event was part of the 2012 Global Breastfeeding Challenge led by the Quintessence Foundation to have the most babies latched in one location at the same time. Local interest in this event has grown considerably as there were 27 babies in 2011, and 24 babies participated in 2010. Click here for news coverage of the event.
“It’s important that nursing mothers and their families from Peterborough city and county gather together and celebrate the importance of breastfeeding, and that they are supported by their community,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “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.”
This event was organized by Peterborough Public Health together with the Peterborough Breastfeeding Coalition. Results of the worldwide breastfeeding challenge are posted on www.babyfriendly.ca
The 2012 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 of 2008, becoming the second one in the province to receive this designation, and Public Health will be striving for re-designation in 2013.