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August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month

Monday August 19, 2019

In order to promote early breastfeeding success and breastfeeding outcomes, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency offers a variety of ways to support families.

Breastfeeding peers, support groups, lactation consultants, and resource material is available to every resident in the tri-county area – not just WIC clients. According to Maria Ansett, RN and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for the Local Health Department’s WIC Program, the availability of these resources is leading to higher breastfeeding initiation and duration rates, healthier babies, and closer families.

In a world filled with inequality, crises and poverty, breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong good health for babies and mothers. With no additional burden on household income, breastfeeding is a low-cost way of feeding babies and contributes to poverty reduction. Breastfeeding prevents hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, and ensures food security for babies, even in times of hardship. Not only is breastfeeding a cost effective way to feed your child, it is helping to set them up for a healthier future. There are a multitude of benefits that result from breastfeeding, here are just a few:

Any breastfeeding is associated with a 64% reduction in the incidence of gastrointestinal tract infections. It also contributes up to a 30% reduction in the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus is reported for infants who exclusively breastfed for at least 3 months. And for infants who are exclusively breastfed for more than 4 months, the risk of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections in the first year is reduced 72%. Serious colds and ear and throat infections were reduced by 63% in infants whoexclusively breastfed for 6 months.

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is here to support new moms, dads and their babies. For more information, visit our Breastfeeding Support page, or follow us on Facebook visit site

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