World Breastfeeding Week Arrives in Spokane

SPOKANE, Wash. – July 29, 2011 – Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) announced today that breast-feeding peer counselors from its Women, Infant and Children Nutrition program (WIC) will again host a World Breastfeeding Walk and Celebration. The festivities will take place Sat., Aug 6, at 10:00 a.m. beginning at Riverfront Park’s Red Wagon. The walk corresponds with SRHD’s celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7, 2011.

“When a community can rally around being champions of breast-feeding, its momentum can increase the number of women who breastfeed their babies and the number of months they breastfeed—that’s the spirit of this celebration,” said Dr. Joel McCullough, SRHD health officer. “We’re excited about the positive impact this collaboration will have on the health and wellbeing of our community.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, both babies and mothers gain many benefits from breast-feeding. Human milk provides the most complete form of nutrition for infants. Breast milk is easy to digest and offers breast-feeding infants protection against bacterial and viral infections. Research indicates that women who breast-feed may have lower rates of certain breast and ovarian cancers.

World Breastfeeding Week 2011 is sponsored by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. Over the 7-day period, advocates in more than 170 countries worldwide will work to protect, promote and support breast-feeding.

SRHD WIC staff continue to promote the Spokane County Breastfeeding Coalition and its Breastfeeding Welcome Here campaign. The materials promote Washington state law protecting a woman’s right to breast-feed her baby in places of public accommodation. They also want to reach out to businesses that are interested in being breast-feeding-friendly, including to their own staff. This promotion includes SRHD’s own unveiling of an employee lactation room. Returning to work can be a major hurdle for new mothers struggling to balance work with breast-feeding. In fact, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, in 2009, only 25 percent of employers reported providing an onsite lactation room for staff.

For more information about these activities, about Breastfeeding Welcome Here, or to obtain Breastfeeding Welcome window clings, please contact Kristine Brewer at (509) 323-2806, or email at kbrewer@spokanecounty.org.

More information about WIC and SRHD can be found at www.srhd.org. SRHD’s website offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community.