It’s like a lounge for the little ones.

Baby Café of Genesee County’s grand opening will be held Thursday, April 26. Currently meeting at Michigan State University Extension Center’s GCCARD Building on Saginaw St., the program supports breastfeeding moms, their infants and families.

More than 100 facilitators, community partners and supporters will celebrate the grand opening, designed to improve infant health.

Flint’s current breastfeeding initiation rate of 48 percent lags behind the current Michigan initiation rate of 64 percent and the national rate of 81.9 percent. Breastfeeding has been recommended for mothers because it decreases postpartum depression, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer risk among adults. Breastfeeding is recommended for babies because it decreases their risk of illness and premature death.

The Center for Disease Control reports that for every month an infant is breastfed, their risk of obesity decreases by 4 percent, with an overall 15 to 30 percent decrease in adolescent and adult obesity among those breastfed as infants.

The state of Michigan states that it is crucial for businesses, organizations, and community groups to work together to address the social determinants of health and health equity, and identify health disparities in breastfeeding and infant mortality. Healthy mothers, babies, and families are the foundation for a healthier Michigan.

Baby Café   is funded with a grant from Flintkids.org, in affiliation with the Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN) and the MIBFN 310 Connect Initiative. At the Baby Café, mothers can relax, share tips and techniques, and socialize with other moms. Health and family advocates, including WIC peer counselors, support the program.

The Baby Café, open Thursdays from 10 a.m. until noon, is located inside the GCCARD Head Start/MSU-E building on 601 N. Saginaw St. Flint, MI. 48502, 

For more information, interested mothers may call Kim Lyons at (810) 235-5613 or visit babycafeofgenesee county

Lead image courtesy of the U.K. Division of Baby Cafe’

  FlintKids.org, GCCARD, MIBFN, MIBFN 310 Connect Initiative, Michigan Breastfeeding Network, Michigan State University extension, WIC

Comments

comments