FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   Contact:  Candy Sims, Public Information Officer

July 22, 2015                                                                                          (954) 467-4784 or (954) 895-5745

August is National Breastfeeding Month

August 1-7, 2015 is World Breastfeeding Week

BROWARD COUNTY – The Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) recognizes National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week, as an opportunity to celebrate and support all breastfeeding families. DOH-Broward is proud to support “The Big Latch On.”  The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2015 at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, 33316 starting at 9:00 a.m.

“The Big Latch On” is a community-building event held every August to celebrate World Breastfeeding week.  It involves groups of women coming together at locations around the world to “latch on” (breastfeed) their child or children at a set time.  All of the children are latched on for one minute at the set time and are counted by witnesses.  Numbers are added to a global total to see if we can beat 2014’s “The Big Latch On” total of 13,798 breastfeeding children.

The Urban League of Broward County in partnership with the Broward County Breastfeeding Coalition will be hosting “The Big Latch On.” For more details and to RSVP please call 954-625-2553 or email trichards@ulbcfl.org.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mothers who breastfeed their children are at a healthier weight than average, and have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Children who are breastfed have a lower risk of developing respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, asthma, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome.

DOH- Broward’s Healthiest Weight Initiative is supporting five Broward County hospitals that are taking steps to enhance maternity care practices in support of breastfeeding statewide.   Additionally, DOH-Broward’s WIC program provides breastfeeding peer counselors and breastfeeding support, as well as special outreach to communities with low breastfeeding rates.

For more information on DOH-Broward’s breastfeeding support services, call (954) 467-4705 or visit https://broward.floridahealth.gov.

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The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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Department of Health please visit www.floridahealth.gov.