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Also contributed $95,000 to new Mother's Milk Bank
Source: County News Service
August 7, 2019 (San Diego) - At today’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting, Supervisor Gaspar requested County staff and health experts develop a countywide lactation policy for employees and nursing mothers who do business at the County Administration Center.
As Chairwoman of the First 5 Commission of San Diego this year, the Supervisor’s priorities include increasing awareness of the importance of breastfeeding and to implement policies that will further empower women to breastfeed. “This is the most amazing gift that you can give your baby and something that will fundamentally change the course of their lives,” Supervisor Gaspar said. “I will always be grateful to those who came into my life and helped encourage me and that’s why I want to go out and encourage others.”
Research shows that premature and sick babies fed an exclusive human milk diet instead of formula, have significantly lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis, a devastating intestinal disease that can be deadly or often requires surgery. For full-term babies, the health benefits of being breastfed include increased cognitive development, 50% reduction in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, reduction in diabetes, leukemia and lymphoma and celiac disease.
Our region is fortunate to have UC San Diego developing a human milk bank that will be open next Spring. Supervisor Gaspar was so impressed with the Executive Director’s vision and passion during a site visit that she committed $95,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program to the project. UC San Diego Pediatrician Dr. Lisa Stellwagen is the center’s Executive Director. She said, “I am so appreciative of Supervisor Gaspar’s support and enthusiasm for our new “Mother’s Milk Bank”. We expect this project to further energize the community in support of breast milk feeding for all infants; from healthy full-term babies to tiny, fragile preemies.”
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