Breastfeeding Support Encouraged

Kalamazoo MI. – Mother’s milk has all the good things baby needs! Packed with nutrients and antibodies to protect against illness, breast milk is nature’s perfect food. Health officials say mothers should breastfeed exclusively (offering infants no water, juice, or formula) for the first six months of life. Studies show exclusive breastfeeding during this time lowers infants’ risks of diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory illnesses and SIDS.

According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Breastfeeding report Card, only 67.4% of Michigan’s infants receive any of their mother’s milk. Only seven states in the United States have breastfeeding initiation rates lower than Michigan. Even more concerning is the survey results indicate that only 8.3 of our state’s babies have been fed only breast milk for their first six months of life.

This year’s theme, Mother Support: Go for the Gold, points to a circle of support needed for breastfeeding mothers. Many factors affect a woman’s decision to breastfeed, as well as her ability to continue breastfeeding. Support from friends and family, employers, healthcare providers, and breastfeeding peer counselors have been shown to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.

Amanda Hulet, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at Kalamazoo County’s MSU Extension office, recommends starting breastfeeding in the first hour of life, introducing solid foods at six months and continuing to breastfeed through the first year of life. Research shows that exclusive breastfeeding for six months, the “gold standard”, also decreases an infant’s risk of several chronic diseases later in life including obesity, diabetes, and asthma.

Kalamazoo County’s MSU Extension office is committed to increasing public support and acceptance of breastfeeding as the infant feeding norm. In August, advocates of maternal and child health throughout the state are recognizing those individuals and programs who deserve a “gold medal” for the support they provide breastfeeding mothers.

For information about the breastfeeding initiative (BFI) program at MSU Extension in Kalamazoo call 384-8063 or e-mail to byrdle@msu.edu or visit our web site at www.kalcounty.com/msue.

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MSU Extension is an Affirmative-Action Equal-Opportunity Institution. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status.

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