From Cayman Islands Health Services Authority

The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) is pleased to be able to do its part during the 2015 World Breastfeeding Week, which takes place from August 1- 7, and supports this very important awareness initiative.

A display with vital messages explaining the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby, will be mounted in the Hospital Atrium, the Maternity Unit, and the Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital, as well as in the district health centres throughout Grand Cayman, most private OBGYN and private paediatrician offices island wide and at Faith Hospital on Cayman Brac.

This year World Breastfeeding Week, an international initiative, calls for concerted global action to support women in combining breastfeeding and work. Spearheaded by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), the initiative recognises that whether a woman is working in the formal, informal or home setting, it is necessary that she is empowered in claiming her and her baby’s right to breastfeed.

Simone Sheehan, HSA Dietician, is assisting the Cayman breastfeeding initiative, working alongside the Women’s Health Centre and the Cayman Islands Breastfeeding Support Group.

She said it was vital that organisations across the Cayman Islands work to enable new mothers to breastfeed their babies.

“The benefits of breast milk over formula have been well documented, so we want to raise awareness further to ensure that the wider community appreciates the importance of helping mothers to breastfeed their babies. Our colourful posters throughout the Hospital and across the islands will hopefully reinforce the message and help everyone understand that they need to play their part in supporting new mothers,” Ms. Sheehan said.

According to research, exclusive breastfeeding and adequate appropriate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially reducing deaths among children under five by about 20%. Early and exclusive breastfeeding improves newborn care and reduces neonatal mortality – World Health Organization, and UNICEF.

In addition, breastfeeding has been shown repeatedly to be the single most effective way to prevent infant death; it plays a major role in children’s health and development, and significantly benefits the health of mothers – World Health Organization, and UNICEF.

Abigail Parchment, from the Cayman Islands Breastfeeding Support Group, said the theme for this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is ‘Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s Make it Work’ which calls for a three-pronged approach: time, space and support. “We applaud those employers who already embrace this concept and encourage others to take advantage of the opportunity to positively impact the next generation,” Ms. Parchment said.

Any local business that promotes breastfeeding within the workplace can be nominated in a Cayman Islands Breastfeeding Support Group contest. If you would like to nominate your workplace as breastfeeding friendly, visit www.facebook.com/CIBreastfeeding for more information.

For more information about World Breastfeeding Week, visit www.hsa.ky or www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org