August is National Breastfeeding Month, and Burlington County will once again host a special resource fair to help new and expecting parents learn more about the many breastfeeding benefits and supports in the region.

The Burlington County Breastfeeding Celebration and Resource Fair will be held Friday, August 7, from 10 AM to 2 PM, at the Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences (307 High Street, Mount Holly). The event will bring together local organizations and community partners to connect expectant and breastfeeding families with valuable resources and support. Attendees will have opportunities to visit vendor and resource tables, speak with breastfeeding and maternal-child health professionals, and learn about services available throughout Burlington County.

Free refreshments will be served to attendees and there will be a variety of prizes, including baby clothing and toys, diapers and baby care items, a breast pump, and other postpartum recovery essentials.

The event is organized by the Burlington County Health Department and the County’s Women, Infants, and Children Program, also known as WIC. Some of the other expected participants include:

• Virtua Health
• Mosaic Early Learning Head Start Program
• Burlington County Community Action Partnership Inc.
• Generations Family Success Center
• The Cooperative
• Weisman Children’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Services

Admission is free but attendees are encouraged to register at https://rb.gy/uqq5sj . Residents who do not register can attend provided space is available.

“Burlington County strives to make a difference for all our residents, and one of the ways we do that is through education and promoting healthy choices, resources, and services,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson. “The upcoming Breastfeeding Celebration and Resource Fair is a great place for new or expecting parents to come for information, support, and resources that can benefit them and their babies. It’s a great initiative from our Health Department and WIC program, and we want to encourage families to stop by.”

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. They also recommend that they continue to be breastfed for at least a year while other foods are introduced.

Research has also found that breastfeeding supports healthy brain and immune system development, and that breastfed babies have decreased risk of many chronic diseases, including childhood asthma, gastroenteritis, diabetes, and childhood leukemia.

In 2022, more than 88% of all infants born in New Jersey were initially breastfed, an increase from 2019 when 82.5% of infants in New Jersey were breastfed. The 2022 rate dropped to 68% after six months and less than 48% after a year, according to the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition.

During the event, information will be made available about civil protections and the rights of nursing mothers. Under New Jersey law, employers are required to provide reasonable break times for mothers to express milk, as well as a suitable location other than a toilet stall for an employee to breastfeed or pump in private. The law also forbids an employer from firing or discriminating against women who choose to breastfeed or express milk during breaks.

“Burlington County leads by example and is proud to offer breastfeeding breaks and designated pump areas,” said Commissioner Hopson.

Information will be distributed about the breastfeeding supports and services available through the County’s WIC program.

WIC provides supplemental food, education, health care, and social service referrals to income-eligible pregnant women, new mothers, and children up to 5-years-old.

WIC households come from all parts of Burlington County and include military families residing on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Last year, nearly 4,400 Burlington County households participated in the program each month.

“For more than 50 years, WIC has delivered new and expecting mothers with nutritional support and other resources critical for their health and the health of their children,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo, liaison to the County Health Department. “The upcoming Breastfeeding Celebration & Resource Fair is a great example of their work, and how the program helps improve the health of thousands of Burlington County mothers and children.”