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Theme For 2000 World Breastfeeding Week- Breastfeeding: It's Your Right
Contact: Kimberly Cavaliero at (847) 519-7730
ext. 233, Mary Lofton, ext. 271 or Mary Hurt, ext. 271
For Immediate Release
Schaumburg, IL (August 1, 2000) - The ninth annual
World Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated from August 1-7, 2000 by
La Leche League International (LLLI) and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding
Action (WABA). This year's theme is "Breastfeeding: It's Your Right."
World Breastfeeding Week is part of WABA's ongoing
campaign to increase public awareness of the importance of breastfeeding.
La Leche League is a founding member of WABA's global alliance of health
care providers, nongovernmental organizations and mother support groups.
August 1 marks the tenth anniversary of the signing
of the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support
of Breastfeeding which was adopted in 1990 by 32 governments and 10
United Nations Agencies. The Innocenti Declaration recognizes the importance
of breastfeeding to infant and maternal health, as well as the social,
economic and ecological benefits it provides to the family and society.
The Declaration states:
As a global goal for optimal maternal and child
health and nutrition, all women should be enabled to practice exclusive
breastfeeding and all infants should be fed exclusively on breast
milk from birth to four to six months of age. Thereafter, children
should continue to breastfeed while receiving appropriate and adequate
complementary foods for up to two years of age or beyond. This child
feeding ideal is to be achieved by creating an appropriate environment
of awareness and support so that women can benefit in this manner.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:36 UTC 2007.
