Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated August 1-7. All over the world, organizations and groups host activities and offer information to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies everywhere. In 2018, the week’s theme is “Breastfeeding: The Foundation of Life.”
In New Hampshire, the State WIC Nutrition Program and the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force work with new mothers and babies every day to promote breastfeeding as the healthiest way to feed new babies. The Breastfeeding Task Force aims to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months after birth is optimal for the health of a mother and her infant. Together, the WIC program and Breastfeeding Task Force educate new mothers, day care centers, health professionals and workplaces about how to promote and support breastfeeding.
In 2016, about 50 percent of all deliveries occurred at the eight nationally-designated Breastfeeding Friendly Hospitals in New Hampshire. Also, in New Hampshire in 2016, 79.6 percent of new mothers ever breastfed and 54.8 percent were still breastfeeding when their infants were six months old. This compares to a national rate of 81.1 percent of new mothers who ever breastfed.
If you know a new breastfeeding mom looking for tips on making healthy food choices and getting regular physical activity, check out this factsheet and share the information.
