Health service organizations in Vermont and New Hampshire will host events in the Upper Valley in recognition of World Breastfeeding Week.
From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5. at Silver Lake Park in Barnard, patrons of the White River Junction District Office of the Vermont Department of Health will have the opportunity to connect with breastfeeding peer counselors who will be available at the free event. Those who don’t have a peer counselor are encouraged to stop by to enjoy refreshments and socialize. To learn more, visit healthvermont.gov or call 802-295-8820.
Meanwhile, the “Big Let Down & Latch On,” a virtual event, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7. Lactation consultants and staff from the Women Infants Children, or WIC, programs at district offices in Springfield, Vt., and White River Junction will be available to answer participants’ questions about breastfeeding. For more information or to register for the event, email Ashley.follensbee@vermont.gov or Jackie.lindamood@vermont.gov.
Founded in 1992 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, a global network of organizations providing education and support for people breastfeeding, World Breastfeeding Week is now celebrated in over 170 countries, according to the World Health Organization.
In Vermont, infants are breastfed at above-average rates compared to the rest of the country. In a recent study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 93% of Vermont infants born in 2021 were breastfed compared to a national average of 84%. The same study showed that 88% of New Hampshire infants born in 2021 were breastfed.
