World Breastfeeding Week was celebrated last week and was organized by several breastfeeding advocates and local agencies, and is designed to promote public awareness and support for breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is the natural alternative to bottle feeding of infants and has been proven to have several health benefits for both the child and the mother.

"Breastfeeding is very important," said Sharon Winterburg, a registered dietitian with The Women, Infants and Childrens Program (WIC) of Stanislaus County. "It's not like choosing Coke or Pepsi when it comes to breastfeeding. It is very important."

This year's World Breastfeeding Week will focus on breastfeeding as a human right. Advocates of breastfeeding claim that it is a basic right of mothers and goes a long way in realizing a child's right to food, health and care.

WIC currently has several programs designed to increase awareness for and promote breastfeeding. They have recently trained three employees to be Certified Lactation Counselors.

It has also expanded a breast pump loan program and become involved in the Breastfeeding Coalition of Stanislaus County, which is a group of lay citizens in the area promoting breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding has long been known to be advantageous for infants. Among the benefits are less illnesses such as ear infections, wheezing, asthma and allergies, as well as a decreased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, child cancer, childhood obesity and adult onset diabetes. Infants who were breastfed are also shown to have better mental development, as reflected by higher IQs, according to Winterburg.

In addition to being beneficial to infants, breastfeeding has also been shown to be good for a mother's health. Women who breastfeed have been shown to have a faster recovery from giving birth, including losing pregnancy weight faster, have the uterus contract back into place faster and having less bleeding.

Breastfeeding has also been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed for the first year of an infant's life. They recommend introducing solid foods at six months but continuing the breastfeeding through the first year.

"Until breastfeeding becomes the popular norm, it will be a struggle for women who want to," said Winterburg. "Every little bit of publicity for breastfeeding helps."

For more information, call WIC of Turlock at 664-8057.

Reprinted by permission of The Turlock Journal.