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October 1, 2010VANCOUVER, BC – From Oct. 1 to 8, mothers living in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Squamish and Richmond will take part in activities that celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and the growing public acceptance of breastfeeding as a normal, natural part of child-rearing. Tomorrow, on October 2, the 9th annual Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge will take place at three sites in VCH. The annual challenge, sponsored by Vancouver Coastal Health and the Quintessence Foundation, strives to set new yearly records for the most babies breastfeeding at one time. The three latch-on sites are:
Each of the challenges begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 with “latch-on” beginning at 11 a.m. Number counts will be submitted electronically at the time of latch-on to allow organizers to announce the winning region during the event. Last year’s challenge saw 4,766 babies breastfed simultaneously at 246 sites in 26 countries. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week celebrations also mark completion of a VCH regional breastfeeding policy. Its adoption will serve to institutionalize, normalize and prioritize breastfeeding at facilities across the health region. The policy’s adoption also means that VCH is one step closer to becoming the first designated Baby-Friendly region in the province. “This policy creates a common message across VCH about the importance of breastfeeding,” said Patty Keith, Regional Director of Planning, Maternal/Child Programs and Services, VCH. “It is hoped that the new policy will assist in standardizing the practices around breastfeeding, support our hospitals and encourage communities to support women in providing optimal nutrition for their babies.” The World Health Organization, Health Canada, Canadian Pediatric Society & other specialist bodies recommend exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months, with sustained breastfeeding after the introduction of complementary table foods. Despite the 97 per cent breastfeeding initiation rate in BC being the highest in Canada, the duration rate does not meet health targets. Only 61 per cent of babies are exclusively breastfed at 3 months, and only 19 per cent at six months. In the first week after birth, 18 per cent of mothers have introduced non-human milk. “The high numbers of new moms who initiate breastfeeding shortly after birth tells us that women consider breastfeeding to be the optimal way to nourish their newborns, but many stop breastfeeding in the months following,” said Radhika Bhagat, a Clinical Nurse Specialist at VCH’s Raven Song Community Health Clinic. “This tells us there is a continued need for healthcare professionals to continue to promote and support breastfeeding, something our new regional policy will allow us to do consistently across the region.” In Richmond, a series of Baby Cafes will be held during World Breastfeeding Week. These cafes will encourage women to come together to share their own breastfeeding experiences and explore ways to improve the acceptance of breastfeeding in the community. These Baby Cafes will take place at the following Richmond locations:
The breastfeeding challenge is an initiative of Quintessence Foundation, a registered non-profit whose mandate is to provide breastfeeding education for health professionals and the public. For more information and a list of participating sites, visit www.babyfriendly.ca. Vancouver Coastal Health is responsible for the delivery of $2.9 billion in community, hospital and residential care services to over one million people in communities from Richmond through Vancouver, the North Shore, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky corridor, Powell River, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
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