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MDHHS to Host Two Forums to Develop New Statewide Breastfeeding Plan
February 22, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 2016
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is hosting two forums on March 15 and April 19 to help equip Michigan mothers with needed education, support and resources for breastfeeding.
Michigan employers, healthcare professionals and organizations, community organizations, community members and public health professionals are being invited to the forums to discuss the benefits of breastfeeding, share strategies and break down barriers to breastfeeding. Ultimately, the goal of the forums is to utilize participant feedback to help shape a new Statewide Breastfeeding Plan.
Evidence supports that breastfeeding is healthy for mothers and infants. While nearly 75 percent of Michigan mothers report ever breastfeeding, only 41percent of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding at three months, and only 16 percent are breastfeeding exclusively at six months. Breastfeeding promotion and the reduction of disparities in breastfeeding rates are integral parts of Michigan’s Infant Mortality Reduction Plan. MDHHS is committed to supporting Michigan’s breastfeeding moms and encourages widespread participation in these events.
The March 15, 2016, forum is scheduled in Lansing, and the April 19, 2016, is set for Marquette. Dr. Paula Schreck, breastfeeding coordinator, St. Johns Providence Health System, is a keynote speaker at both events. Kiddada Green, founder and executive director of Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association, also is a keynote speaker at the Lansing event, and Raeanne Madison, Coalition Coordinator, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, is a keynote speaker at the Marquette event.
The registration deadline is March 1. Registration information and more details about the two forums are available at https://events.mphi.org/BFForum
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