Did you know that World Breastfeeding Week was August 1-7? Public Health - Seattle & King County promotes breastfeeding because of the overwhelming benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child, including the prevention of serious disease. The Child Care Health Program encourages child care providers to support parents who breastfeed.

Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants: It nourishes them and protects them from illness. Exclusive breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition and is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for the first 6 months of life. Gradual introduction of solid foods in the second half of the first year should complement the breast milk diet. Continued breastfeeding is recommended throughout the first year and thereafter as long as is mutually desired.

Breastfed children have reduced risks for:

• ear infections
• upper and lower respiratory infections
• diarrhea
• sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• obesity
• juvenile diabetes
• allergies, asthma and eczema
• some types of childhood cancer
• Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Breastfeeding is good for mothers because it:

• helps them get their bodies back in shape after pregnancy
• helps them feel good about themselves
• takes less time than using infant formula
• saves money

Breastfeeding is good for child care providers because they have:

• babies with less colic and spitting up
• diapers that do not smell bad
• babies who are sick less often
• breastmilk that does not stain clothes
• mothers who feel good about child care because they can continue to breastfeed their babies

Breastfeeding helps everyone because it:

• leads to healthier people
• lowers food costs for families because they don't need to buy infant formula
• makes less trash and pollution because there are fewer cans to throw away.

In Washington State, less than a third of babies are breastfed for six months; among African Americans the rate is even lower, as only one in five babies is breastfed.

How can child care providers help?

• Talk about why breastfeeding is so good for babies.
• Tell parents that you want to care for breastfed babies.
• Let parents know that you want to give expressed breastmilk to their babies.
• Tell parents about other places in the community they can go for help with breastfeeding.

To learn more, call the Child Care Health Program at (206) 296-2770 and ask to speak with a Nutrition Consultant.