Breastfeeding Awareness Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Breastfeeding Awareness Month

WHEREAS, the health and well-being of all Virginians are of utmost importance to the happiness, vitality, and livelihood of our Commonwealth's families and communities; and

WHEREAS, optimal nutrition is of vital significance in the early months and years of life and has a lifelong impact on sustained health; and

WHEREAS, breast milk is physiologically tailored to meet infants' maturing digestive systems, ensuring proper growth and development, and helping to prevent a variety of acute and chronic diseases; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and child and provides women with health benefits such as reduced risk of ovarian, uterine, and breast cancer, as well as osteoporosis and high blood pressure; and

WHEREAS, breast milk helps protect babies against allergies and sickness; diseases like diabetes and cancer; as well as infections, including ear infections; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding is a public health focus area because the Healthy People 2030 goal is to increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed at one year of age to 54%; and

WHEREAS, 69% of mothers return to full time employment within a year of giving birth, and workplace lactation accommodation and support is critical to meet this goal; and

WHEREAS,pasteurized human donor milk can be a lifesaving treatment for medically fragile infants and a nutritional bridge to exclusive breastfeeding, and Virginia mothers have generously donated breastmilk to those in need; and

WHEREAS, food security and safe infant feeding is a priority to support healthy moms, families, and communities, and the Virginia Women, Infants and Children program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and supplemental nutritious foods; and

WHEREAS, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action declared August 1-7, 2024, as World Breastfeeding Week, and the 2024 theme is "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All;"

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin,do hereby recognize August 2024, as BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.