VCU news

By Leha Byrd

This year, August 1–7 is World Breastfeeding Week and August is National Breastfeeding Month. Research shows that breastfeeding has many health benefits for both infants and mothers. Those benefits include reduced rates of infection, obesity and postneonatal mortality among children and a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer among mothers.

To offer the community expert information on the topic, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center is hosting a Twitter chat with Valerie Coleman, coordinator of family life education, women’s health community outreach and lactation services for VCU Medical Center. The public can sign into their Twitter accounts, join the conversation and dialogue with Coleman from 2–3 p.m., Aug 7.

Coleman will provide live answers to questions about breastfeeding and its benefits. Questions can be submitted in advance via Twitter using the hashtag #VCUHealthChat with @VCUMedical.

In June, VCU Medical Center was designated Baby-Friendly, after meeting criteria for providing an exceptional level of attention to newborn feeding and mother-baby bonding. With this designation, VCU Medical Center is part of an elite group of hospitals across the country, and it is the only hospital in Greater Richmond and one of four organizations in Virginia to receive this prestigious accreditation. The Baby-Friendly designation is part of a global initiative by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund to promote and support breastfeeding. VCU Medical Center encourages exclusive breastfeeding, meaning an infant receives only breast milk.