http://news.theolympian.com/stories/20010806/SSoundLiving/84635.shtml

S. Sound Living Monday, August 6, 2001
PUBLIC HEALTH
If you care about health,
environment, economy, then
breast-feeding matters to you

Breast milk is the gold standard, and that's why formula
manufacturers try so hard to mimic it.
DIANA YU, Public Health

Last week as I was driving to work, I noticed a banner
hanging over Capitol Boulevard which read
"Breast-feeding Matters to Everyone."

Why shouldn't it?

Babies who are breast-fed are three times less likely to die
their first year of life and seven times less likely to be
hospitalized. A recent USDA publication reported that a
minimum of $3.6 billion dollars would be saved if
breast-feeding rates were increased. That's a lot of money.

The report further states that this is probably an
underestimation of cost savings because this report looked
at only three major causes of childhood illness.

Breast-feeding prevents many diseases in infants, children
and women. More than 50 percent of infants and children in
this country receive subsidized health care through our
government. If you are a taxpayer, breast-feeding should
matter to you.

Women who have breast-fed their infants have lower rates
of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, iron
deficiency and osteoporosis. If you care about women's
health, breast-feeding should matter to you.

Breast-feeding has important social implications, too.
Statistics show that breast-fed babies do better in school
and are less likely to be abused or neglected by their
parents. Families who breast-feed save more than $1,000 a
year in formula and related costs.

Even supplemental food programs that provide formula to
families do not supply all the formula that an infant
requires.

Breast-feeding saves money and natural resources. Breast
milk is a completely natural, renewable source of energy
and costs just pennies a day. There are no cows or
soybeans to raise. There are no production, transportation
or packaging costs. If you care about the environment,
breast-feeding should matter to you.

Just this year, the Washington Legislature passed a bill
supporting a woman's right to breast-feed. This legislation
protects a nursing mother from indecent exposure laws and
sets forth guidelines for moms who need to express their
milk at work so they can continue breast-feeding.
Breast-feeding mattered to the Washington State
Legislature this year.

Still not convinced that breast-feeding should matter to
you? Remember that nature intended for human babies to
get human milk. Mother's milk is the perfect food for
babies; no other substance even comes close. Breast milk
is the gold standard, and that's why formula manufacturers
try so hard to mimic it.

So what can you do to support breast-feeding?

Give this column to every pregnant woman you know so
she can make an informed choice about breast-feeding.
Research shows that when physicians encourage
breast-feeding, women are more likely to initiate
breast-feeding and breast-feed longer.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that
babies be breast-fed for their first year of life. If you know
of a breast-feeding mom or family, offer your support. Tell
her what a wonderful gift she is giving her baby.
Remember her choice to breast-feed matters to her baby,
her health, her community, her county, the environment and
you.  Breast-feeding matters to everyone.

Aug. 1-7 is World Breast-feeding Week. If you are
interested in breast-feeding information, go to the World
Alliance for Breast-feeding Action Web site at
www.waba.org.br.

For information locally, contact The South Sound
Breast-feeding Network at 360-786-5581, Ext. 6967.

Dr. Diana Yu is the health officer for the Thurston
County Public Health and Social Services Department,
529 W. Fourth Ave., Olympia. For information from the
Health Department, call 360-786-5581.

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