TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 3 -- The Florida Department of Health issued the following news release:
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) recognizes March 4 as International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Day. The observance is celebrated annually on the first Wednesday in March. This year's theme is 'IBCLCs: Protecting, Promoting, Supporting Breastfeeding Beyond Borders.' It highlights the diverse settings and locations in which these professionals help Florida's mothers and babies achieve healthier lives through breastfeeding. Throughout Florida and beyond, IBCLCs provide evidence-based information and timely support to new families.
'Evidence shows that breastfeeding has long term positive impacts for the mother and her baby,' DOH Division Director of Family Health Services Annette Phelps, A.R.N.P., M.S.N. said. 'We recognize the valuable service that IBCLCs provide to mothers and babies to help them enjoy a fulfilling breastfeeding relationship.'
IBCLCs are health care professionals who have years of study and training in the clinical management of breastfeeding and are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, Inc. In addition to offering highly specialized care for breastfeeding mothers, IBCLCs assist families with prenatal education as well as postpartum care. For example, they may be asked to assist with a variety of issues from helping a mother breastfeed her baby with special needs to answering a mother's concern about how to continue breastfeeding after returning to work. IBCLCs work in a variety of settings, including hospitals; public health clinics; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); community education; research and private practice.To find a board certified lactation consultant near you, visit the International Lactation Consultant Association's website at www.ilca.org.
DOH promotes, protects, and improves the health of all people in Florida. For more information on nutrition or breastfeeding, visit www.FloridaWIC.org, www.llli.org or www.flbreastfeeding.org. For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
