June 26, 2003
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sherri Willis
Ellen Sirbu, City of Berkeley, 510. 981.5131
Kelly Moore, Native American Health Center, 510.535.4417
Bay Area Set to Defend Its Guinness World Record
for Number of Women Breastfeeding At One Place & Time
The challenge is on! This August the Bay Area will defend its Guinness
World Record of 1,130 women breastfeeding their children at the same
time, in the same place.
The California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
and Children (WIC) in conjunction with the Alameda County and City of
Berkeley Public Health Departments, and Native American Health Center is
sponsoring this Guinness event, which will kick off 11:30 a.m. Saturday,
August 9 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Berkeley, California. At
12:30 the women and babies will cross the street to the Berkeley
Community Theater for the official count.
The event celebrates World Breastfeeding Week and California
Breastfeeding Awareness month, and will include live music, children's
activities, food vendors and more.
This year Sydney, Australia will compete against us to win back the
title. Although Australia has a population of approximately 18 million
- compared to 282 million people in the United States - it will be a
tight competition.
Australia is committed to having mothers breastfeed their infants,
whereas breastfeeding is a real challenge in the United States for many
reasons, including:
Marketing of infant formula. In many ways marketing undermines
breastfeeding. Hospitals receive free formula from formula companies
and often will dispense it to mothers instead of providing necessary
support for mothers to breastfeed successfully.
Free formula. Most hospitals receive and distribute free formula in
gift bags to mothers as discharge gifts. When health professionals
market formula it gives the impression it is good to give formula to
babies. Formula companies also mail unsolicited free formula directly to
the mothers' homes.
Misleading promotions. Some advertisements suggest that formula and
breast milk are substantially the same.
Limited maternity leave.
Lack of lactation accommodation laws in most states.
Lack of lactation education for most physicians and nurses.
For more information on the Guinness event or to find out how you can
support breastfeeding call Ellen Sirbu at (510) 981-5131, or e-mail
[log in to unmask]
Alameda County Public Health Department
1000 Broadway, Suite 500 - Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.267.8001 Fax: 510.268.7012
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