Scripps Encinitas holds ‘Latch On’ breast-feeding event

Dozens of mothers and their babies gathered Aug. 1 at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas to participate in the “Big Latch On” breast-feeding event as part of World Breast-Feeding Week, an annual celebration held around the globe. At 10:30 a.m., the mothers all breast-fed their babies for one minute. The event also included a family parade.

Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar, a breast-feeding advocate whose three children were born at Scripps Encinitas, presented a proclamation recognizing the hospital’s 10 years as a baby-friendly designated facility by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

World Breast-Feeding Week, which runs Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, aims to raise awareness of the benefits of breast-feeding. The theme this year is supporting working women and breast-feeding. Last year, more than 13,000 mothers and children in 31 countries participated in the “Big Latch On.”

Photos by McKenzie Images.