PRESS RELEASE 

From the Office of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein    

CONTACT: Kara Kane, Public Information Officer 

Email: kara.kane@erie.gov  

Phone: (716) 858-4941    

ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RECOGNIZES TEN “BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY” COMPANIES AS PART OF WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

County program supports employers who make accommodations for new moms who choose to nurse their children

ERIE COUNTY, NY— August 1 marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week, and in the past two years Erie County has taken significant steps to support businesses and organizations in making their workplaces more comfortable and convenient for mothers who breastfeed infant children.

“Mothers who breastfeed have a lower risk of high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers,” said Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “There is a whole body of research that shows that breastfed infants have lower rates of respiratory illness, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, and allergies.”

“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life. New moms may face barriers because of their job that prevent them from pumping enough breastmilk when they return to work,” Dr. Burstein continued. “When employers make certain accommodations – many of them quite simple – to give new moms time to express milk, and appropriate space to pump and store breastmilk, they are removing some of those significant barriers.”

"We are proud of all our partners’ work to promote and protect breastfeeding families,” added Dr. Faye Justicia-Linde, UBMD OB/GYN, co-chair of United Way’s Healthy Start Healthy Future for All Coalition. “The workplace breastfeeding program is one of many coalition-supported initiatives coordinated in medical facilities and our community.  Acting together, these services ultimately improve health and save healthcare dollars."

Ten businesses have earned a “Breastfeeding Friendly” designation from Erie County in 2019. This is based on their work to improve policies and practices in ways that make it easier for nursing moms to pump breastmilk during the workday. 

• AffableCare Dental
• Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus
• Campus Labs
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County
• Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children's Museum
• Horizon Health Services
• Rolly Pollies
• ValueCentric, an IQVIA Company
• Wegmans
• YMCA- KenTon Branch

CEO Michelle Urbanczyk of Explore & More Children’s Museum shared her perspective on having this designation for her employees. “Explore & More is proud to be a breastfeeding friendly workplace. We have dedicated private nursing areas to become a breastfeeding friendly environment that supports our moms where they live, work and play,” said Urbanczyk. “We will continue our efforts and are thankful to be part of a growing network that shares resources and best practices.”

These businesses join 23 others in Erie County that have earned a breastfeeding friendly designation from Erie County since 2017.

• BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York
• Buffalo Bills
• Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries
• Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network Inc.
• Canisius College
• Catholic Charities
• Catholic Health
• Child Care Resource Network
• County of Erie   
• Erie 1 BOCES
• Ford Motor Company
• Kaleida Health
• Larkin Development Group    
• National Fuel Gas Company
• National Weather Service at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport    
• Rich Products Corporation
• START WITH SLEEP
• SUNY Erie Community College - all campuses                             
• The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc.
• Trocaire College
• United Way of Buffalo & Erie County
• Univera Healthcare
• Walsh Duffield Companies, Inc.

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For More Information:

ECDOH, Breastfeeding Friendly Erie County: http://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=breastfeeding-friendly-erie-county

American Academy of Pediatrics, Breastfeeding: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/

New York State Department of Health—Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection & Support: https://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/breastfeeding/

BreastfeedingPartners.org—Making it Work Toolkit:

https://www.breastfeedingpartners.org  

Womenshealth.gov—Making the Decision to Breastfeed: https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/making-decision-breastfeed

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