Give babies a healthy start with breastfeeding

World Breastfeeding Week is August 1st-7th, 2010

Nashville, TN — One of the many ways the Tennessee Department of Health works to make sure infants get a healthy start is by promoting breastfeeding. Breastfed babies may have less risk as they age of becoming obese, having diabetes and developing other diseases, according to numerous health studies.

Learning how to breastfeed takes time and patience, and Tennessee county health department staffers can help mothers and babies succeed at the practice. World Breastfeeding Week, observed August 1st-7th this year, is a good time to remind Tennessee mothers that breastfeeding support is available at their nearest health department clinic.

“A mother’s milk has the perfect combination of nutrients needed for her baby’s growth and development,” said Marie Latendresse, state breastfeeding coordinator for the Women, Infants and Children program. “Breast milk is easier to digest, so breastfed babies have less diarrhea, constipation and colic. Unlike formula, breast milk contains antibodies from mom to help her baby fight infection. Breastfed babies also have a lower risk of asthma, allergies and certain
cancers.”

The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2010 is “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.” This theme highlights supportive pathways enabling women to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and other health professional agencies support exclusive breastfeeding for infants during the first six months of life. In Tennessee, Health Department data show 60 percent of mothers breastfeed while in the hospital after delivery, but this number drops to only 12.8 percent by the time infants are six months of age.

WIC offers both individual and group sessions about breastfeeding. In these sessions, health professionals can show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their babies when they return to work.

Tennessee health officials and lawmakers also support breastfeeding mothers. The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in 2006 protecting a mother’s right to breastfeed a child 12 months old or younger in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are authorized to be present; prohibiting local governments from criminalizing or restricting breastfeeding; and requiring employers in Tennessee to accommodate breastfeeding mothers at work. The Tennessee Department of Health, along with hospitals and health care providers, emphasize that workplaces and communities can work together to protect this important practice by establishing an environment friendly to breastfeeding.

Each of Tennessee’s local health departments has a breastfeeding advocate who can answer questions. You may find a list of county health department locations online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm.

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated each year from August 1st through 7th in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. For more information about this health observance, visit http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/.