Canada Breastfeeds News
Valentine for a Breastfeeding Mother
On Valentine's day, Erin Clatney's boss gave her this greeting: "Quit
breastfeeding."
The mother of two worked at Johnny Farina's restaurant at 216 Elgin St.,
Ottawa, throughout her pregnancy, and went back to work when baby Charlotte
was 6 months old.
On February 14th she was told to take a month off without pay,
and wean her daughter.
Erin Clatney quit work rather than quit breastfeeding, and has filed a
complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Ontario. The Ministry of
Labour assures her she has been discriminated against under the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms.
Breastfeeding: Learning for Life
Mary Cassatt/The Art institute of Chicago
Breastfeeding: Learning for Life is this year's World
Breastfeeding Week theme, and INFACT will again be producing an action kit
packed with information sheets, reproducible flyers, tools, graphics and
goodies. We will look at many aspects of education and learning including
educating health professionals, educating children, educating the media and
educating the community. Also included will be information on breastfeeding
and its effect on IQ. World Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated in Canada
from October 1 to 7. Check our website for updates. The kit will be
available in May at a cost of $35 plus shipping and GST.
Funding gives Boost to Baby-Friendly Initiative
In a Press Release dated March 23, the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada
(BCC) announced that it has received $266,380 from Health Canada to
implement and evaluate the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) in Canada. The
BFI, an international 10 Step program established in [1992] by WHO and
UNICEF to improve breastfeeding support practice in maternity and post
discharge services. Although there are approximately 14,000 Baby-Friendly
hospitals worldwide, there are as yet none in Canada. As the national
authority for the BFI, the Breastfeeding Committee plans to implement the
BFI across Canada over the next three years.
"There is a lot for us to do to catch up to the rest of the world,"
states Maureen Field, the BCC chairperson. "The funding is a key to the
success of these...initiatives in increasing breastfeeding rates and
duration across Canada." |
