Breastfeeding Fair at Parkland offers information, support
Event during World Breastfeeding Week focuses on global benefits
Health experts continue to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for babies and moms and the entire family, but this year’s observance of World Breastfeeding Week shows that the advantages can be even more far reaching.
“Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development” is this year’s theme for the international celebration and a focus of the annual Breastfeeding Awareness and Community Fair taking place from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Thursday, Aug. 4, in the private dining room at Parkland Memorial Hospital, 5200 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75235. The event is free and open to the public.
World Breastfeeding Week, observed from Aug. 1-7, this year seeks to raise awareness of sustainability as it relates to breastfeeding, including the amount of natural resources consumed and the pollution created in the production of artificial formula. Research has shown that breastfeeding is an economic and environmentally sustainable practice that contributes to a healthy and equitable future for all countries. And, promoting breastfeeding is part of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new set of world-wide goals which will influence investment and policy agendas, touching millions of lives over the next 15 years.
“We really want to bring the benefits of breastfeeding to the awareness of our patients, visitors and community. Breastfeeding is a renewable food resource and provides universal benefits for our babies, mothers, families, communities and every single country in the world,” said Valencia Moore, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Consultant Supervisor at Parkland. “And this community fair is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness.”
Studies have shown that infants who breastfeed benefit from easy digestion, are protected from illness and have lower risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses and diarrhea. For mothers, breastfeeding has been shown to lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression.
That’s why breastfeeding is recommended by entities such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Surgeon General, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Nurse-Midwives and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our community fair is for families of Dallas County and surrounding areas, to help them learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as become more familiar with the different programs available at Parkland and other organizations we partner with,” Moore said.
Among the groups participating in the Parkland fair will be Mother’s Milk Bank of Texas, Burp ’n Baby, WIC Lactation Care Center, Children’s Health Injury Prevention, Good + Foundation, and several departments from Parkland’s Women & Infants Specialty Health services.
In addition to educating mothers who deliver their babies at Parkland, Moore said, Parkland staff worked for years to obtain the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Designation, which benefits employees, their families and an entire workforce. Such facilities provide private lactation space along with the availability of lactation consultants which enables mothers to return to work while still providing breast milk to their babies.
The Aug. 4 fair is part of Parkland’s efforts to provide a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers. Parkland also conducts breastfeeding classes in English and Spanish on the first Saturday of every month. For more information about these classes and to register, call 214.590.2323.
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