King County Board of Health Resolution Supports Breastfeeding
On March 15, 2007 the King County Board of Health endorsed a resolution supporting policies to promote healthy eating and active living in the county. Resolution 07-03 provides recommendations for prioritizing public health activities to address obesity including programs and policies that support breastfeeding. In addressing breastfeeding, the resolution notes:
"Although the Center for Disease Control and Prevention promotes breastfeeding as a strategy to reduce childhood obesity and related chronic diseases, in 2005, 82% of women in King County initiated breastfeeding, but only 56% were still breastfeeding when their infant was six months of age."
To support breastfeeding initiation and maintenance, the resolution advocates for specific evidence-based strategies including:
- Programming to provide on-site consultation, education, and training to child care providers to encourage breastfeeding.
- Child care programs should be offered a "Breast Feeding Friendly" designation by achieving certain "best practice" criteria.
- On-line modules should be designed to provide evidenced-based research to physicians and nurses to consistently support breastfeeding mothers.
The resolution supports the work of the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative and advances the Obesity Prevention Resolution and 10-Point Plan adopted by the Board in October 2005.
Target Audience: Child care and health care providers in King County
Partners: The King County Overweight Prevention Initiative is sponsored by the King County Board of Health, the University of Washington Exploratory Center for Obesity Research and Center for Public Health Nutrition, and Public Health - Seattle & King County. Over 100 local participants have been meeting since 2004 to identify community strategies and work together to make healthy lifestyles easier to attain communities throughout King County.
Lead Agency: The King County Board of Health sets county-wide public health policy, enacts and enforces local public health regulations, and carries out other duties of local boards of health specified in state law.
See second article on the Resolution's recommendations to support physical activity in this issue.
For more information:
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To achieve the objective for breastfeeding of infants and toddlers, the priority recommendation seeks to assure that health care settings, child care facilities, and work site environments are breastfeeding friendly.