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World Breastfeeding Awareness Week Kicks Off
WARREN, Ohio - World Breastfeeding Week was commemorated Wednesday at the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Office here as Mayor Doug Franklin presented a proclamation declaring Aug. 1 "Breastfeeding Awareness Day" in Warren.
Franklin says he’s proud to be an advocate for breastfeeding.
"As public officials, we need to keep it on our agenda, to make sure it's talked about globally because it's a global issue," he explains. "It needs to stay on the public health agenda. It adds a lot to our community just to get that information out there about how beneficial it is for mothers and infants as well."
World Breastfeeding Week takes place through Aug. 5 with the theme "The Road to Long-term Health is Breastfeeding." Cheryl Gayles, breastfeeding peer helper at WIC, wants to make every mother aware of the long and short-term benefits of breastfeeding, along with helping them through the process.
"It's free, you can't get better than free. We also try to appeal to moms that it's so important to give the baby a good foundation. Breast milk gives them a good foundation, even up to kindergarten," says Gayles. "You give your child the best start in life you possibly can."
Kristen Gut receives breastfeeding support from Trumbull County WIC for her 7-month-old son, Max. She started breastfeeding when she read that it was best for her baby, and now she understands why it's the best. "There are also health benefits for the mother that people don't realize, like it reduces the risk of breast cancer. You also burn calories just by sitting there feeding your baby. " says Gut. "The bonding is the best part. Just the way he looks at me when I'm feeding him. It's amazing and I love it."
Trumbull County WIC is federally funded nutrition education program that provides food that promote good health tforo pregnant women, women who just had a baby, breastfeeding moms, infants, and children up to age 5.
WIC provides education and support for breastfeeding and nutrition, along with referrals for health care, immunization screening, and supplemental foods.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.