Big Latch On to be held at Dallas City Hall Friday

City of Dallas sent this bulletin at 07/29/2013 11:11 AM CDT

 

July 29, 2013

 

For immediate release  

For more information contact: Elizabeth Sanchez - 214-670-7222 elizabeth.sanchez@dallascityhall.com, Sandra Rodriguez - 214-243-2104 sandra.rodriguez@dallascityhall.com or @ www.biglatchon.org

 

Big Latch On to be held at Dallas City Hall Friday
 

Dallas - This Friday, thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world will gather in their own communities to take part in The Big Latch On, a synchronized breastfeeding event in multiple locations. The Dallas area Big Latch On will take place at 9:30 a.m. at  Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla, 6EN.

 

Every year from Aug. 1 to 7, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action organizes World Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for global support. The event is celebrated in 120 countries and marks the signing of the WHO/UNICEF document Innocenti Declaration, which lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global and governmental goals. 

 

The first Big Latch On was held in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005 and has now taken off globally. It was introduced to Portland, Oregon in 2010 by Joanne Edwards and in 2011, 5,687 women participated in the Global Big Latch On. This year we are aiming to once again break this record. 

 

The Big Latch On is based on the principles of community development, providing the opportunity for breastfeeding women to get together in their local communities, host their own events, and identify opportunities for on-going support.

 

Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of babies/children, and babies/children who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer (both mom and baby.) The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by a woman and her child.