Washington County WIC Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week

Press release from Washington County WIC:

July 23 2021

The Washington County WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program is celebrating Minnesota Breastfeeding Awareness Month throughout August. The theme for World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7, is “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility.”

With the world still in the midst of a global pandemic, it is a good time to recognize and remind how breastfeeding contributes to the survival, health, and wellbeing of all.

The beginning of 2021 brought a vaccine to protect and decrease the spread of COVID-19 which is safe for the adult population. While leading scientists continue to race to develop a vaccine safe for young children, humans have their own, natural way of protecting the youngest generation. Moms, through breast milk, pass on helpful antibodies that fight germs and viruses, such as COVID-19.

As the pandemic continues, research continues to show that the benefits of breastfeeding simply outweigh the potential risk when it comes to spreading the virus to the baby. In addition, researchers have not found the infectious virus in breastmilk. Even when a mother has COVID-19, she is advised to still breastfeed while doing hand hygiene and wearing a mask when with baby.

The global pandemic has taught communities to come together to take care of one another. Although support at the individual level is very important, much like surviving a global pandemic, breastfeeding must be considered a public health issues that requires investment at all levels. Now more than ever, it is necessary to create a chain of support for breastfeeding that includes health systems, workplaces, and communities at all levels of society. This chain of support will help build a supportive, enabling environment for breastfeeding to continue, thus protecting mothers and infants.

Given all that 2021 brought, the Washington County WIC team is proud to be able to serve participants and continue to provide breastfeeding support. WIC has seen an increase in participation and retention rates since the start of the pandemic. By providing remote services, WIC is able to connect with families sooner, at more convenient times, and without causing the stress of finding transportation. “The pandemic has stressed the many ways that health is interconnected,” said Samantha O’Dell, WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator. “Let’s not forget to promote breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is one pathway to health, right at the start of life, with far reaching benefits for families, communities, and the planet.”

For more information, contact Washington County WIC at 651-430-6658.

This press release was produced by Washington County WIC. The views expressed here are the author’s own.