Lactation consultants at Memorial University Medical Center marked World Breastfeeding Week Aug. 1-7 by setting up an information table in the hospital lobby and serving cake on the mother/baby floor. Their goal was to promote the benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in more than 170 countries to support breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Breast milk is the “gold standard” for infant nutrition. It reduces the risk of many childhood health issues, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and breastfeeding may help lower the mother’s risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer later in life. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old.