The 2017 World Breastfeeding Celebration will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2017 from 10:00am-12:00pm at the Pitt County Agricultural Center located at 403 Government Circle, Greenville. The purpose of this event is to provide community members with information about breastfeeding and connect families with resources that help to encourage and support breastfeeding. The World Breastfeeding Celebration is free and open to the public. Breastfeeding families, expecting parents and anyone interested in learning more about breastfeeding is encouraged to attend. Resources will be offered for Spanish-speaking individuals. The World Breastfeeding Celebration is sponsored by the Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council (PIMPAC).
The event will include local exhibitors from breastfeeding-friendly community programs and businesses. Education about healthy eating, positive parenting and safe sleep practices will also be available. Other highlights at the event include a nursing mother’s retreat area, healthy food samples from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and door prizes. Activities for kids will include a craft area, story time hosted by Sheppard Memorial Library and face painting.
World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration and awareness campaign highlighting and recognizing the benefits of breastfeeding in communities across the globe. The 2017 World Breastfeeding Week theme: ‘Sustaining Breastfeeding Together’ calls for collaborative action to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. The overarching objectives highlight the fact that everyone has a part to play to enable women to breastfeed successfully.
Infant feeding is one of the most important decisions a family can make. Breastfeeding significantly improves the health, development and survival of infants and children. It also contributes to improved health and wellbeing of mothers, both in the short and long term. Research shows that infants who are not exclusively breastfed for their first six months of life are more likely to develop a wide range of chronic and acute diseases including ear infections, diarrheal diseases, asthma, obesity and respiratory illnesses. Mothers who do not breastfeed may return to their pre-pregnancy weight at a slower rate and may have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
For more information about Pitt County’s breastfeeding resources and the 2017 World Breastfeeding Celebration, contact the Pitt County Health Department Breastfeeding Program at 252-902-2382.