Tag Archives: National Breastfeeding Month

Highlighting Benefits of Breastfeeding for National Recognition Month

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August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month and DHEC’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program wants you to recognize how breastfeeding fits into public health. Breastfeeding is good for both infants and mothers. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most infants. Breastfeeding provides all the nutrients a baby needs for healthy growth and development.  

It is proven breastfeeding promotes health, prevents disease, and contribute to reducing health inequalities by giving babies a healthier start at the beginning of their lives. As an infant grows, breast milk changes to meet the infant’s nutritional needs.  

Breastfeeding can also help protect the infant and mother against certain illnesses and diseases:  

Decrease Risks to Infants Decrease Risks to Mothers 
Asthma Obesity Type 1 diabetes Severe lower respiratory disease Acute otitis media (ear infections) Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Gastrointestinal infections (diarrhea/vomiting) Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) for preterm infantsBreast cancer Ovarian cancer Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure 

Every woman’s breastfeeding journey is different, so you may experience some challenges. If you do, just remember it’s okay to ask for help.  

A WIC breastfeeding expert is trained to help you overcome breastfeeding challenges. Your family and friends can help, too. With a little time, patience, and support, you can overcome breastfeeding challenges and meet your goals.  

WIC is part of the Bureau of Community Nutrition Services. 

Our state’s regions have spent this month celebrating National Breastfeeding Month in clinics statewide. Check out some of the bulletin boards and other events our health clinics held to raise awareness for breastfeeding here. 

Don’t forget you can learn more about breastfeeding by visiting our WIC breastfeeding page.  

DHEC Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2021 and National Breastfeeding Month

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This week marks World Breastfeeding Week. Celebrated across the globe from Aug. 1-7, 2021, the annual awareness week seeks to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. 

This year’s theme is “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility.” It focuses on how protecting breastfeeding is a shared responsibility. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding emphasizes the need for a public health approach to breastfeeding to build better systems. 

DHEC’s Women Infant and Children (WIC) team encourage its participants to choose to breastfeed as their first option for feeding their babies. Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and child including:  

  • Breast milk naturally has all the nutrients and antibodies babies need to grow, develop, and prevent illnesses.   
  • Breastfeeding is convenient and a great timesaver. You can breastfeed almost anywhere and anytime your baby is hungry.  
  • Breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its normal size.  
  • Breastfeeding reduces health care costs because babies are healthier. 
  • Breast milk is always sterile, warm, and ready to serve. 

WIC is part of the Bureau of Community Nutrition Services.

We understand breastfeeding can be challenging for some mothers, especially in the early days. Lactation consultants can help you find ways to make breastfeeding work for you and your baby. Click here to learn more about tackling breastfeeding challenges.  

In addition to World Breastfeeding Week, August is also National Breastfeeding Month. To help celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month, our regions will be conducting activities. If you’re visiting one of our clinics, look for special activities. We’ll also be sharing pictures later this month showing some of the special events taking place throughout our state.  

According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding, scaling up breastfeeding can prevent:  

  • 20,000 maternal deaths annually 
  • 823,000 child deaths annually 
  • $302B in economic losses annually  
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For more information about breastfeeding visit the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s website where you can also sign a pledge to participate in World Breastfeeding Week. Also, you can learn about how WIC can help with breastfeeding by visiting our WIC webpage.