To submit comments, or to suggest items for this newsletter or First5LA.org, contact Katie Kurutz, public affairs officer, at kkurutz@first5la.org or (213) 482-5902.
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Click events below to view full listings.
Read and Win a Disney Vacation!
the month of April
Every Tuesday beginning
April, 2009
from 10:15am - 11:15am
April 24, 2009
from 9:30am - 12:00 pm
from 9:00am - 12:30 pm
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National Child Abuse Prevention Month
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Abandoned Babies and the Safe Surrender Program
No one knows all the reasons behind child abandonment, but every state in America has a law that helps protect infants from "exposure," or death from abandonment. More » |
Best Start LA Program Management System
First 5 LA is issuing an RFP to individuals and groups interested in working with our staff to design and implement a comprehensive data infrastructure for the Best Start LA focus area. More »
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AB 98 Maternity Services
AB 98 will require all individual and group health insurance policies regulated under the California Department of Insurance to cover maternity services. Learn more about how this proposed law could impact mothers-to-be. More »
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Katie Fallin
Katie Fallin oversees project and department management for our Research and Evaluation Department. Learn how her love of children led her to pursue advanced studies in child development. More>>
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Controversy Over Breastfeeding
First 5 LA supports and advocates breastfeeding practices. Recently, however, the article "The Case Against Breast-Feeding," published this month in The Atlantic magazine has ignited a controversy.
The author, Hanna Rosin, voiced her personal opinions and observations regarding her breastfeeding experiences. She also stated that after reviewing relevant online medical literature, she found the claims about the benefits of breast milk were greatly overstated.
But despite the article's provocative headline, Ms. Rosin subsequently stated on The Today Show that she is not actually against breastfeeding, and that she continues to breastfeed her own child.
Responding to the Atlantic article, members of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) disagreed with Ms. Rosin's argument that the "burden of breastfeeding" often outweighs its value. Below is an excerpt from their letter.
"The online review of the medical literature described in the article misrepresents the evidence on a critical issue for both women's and children's health. Ms. Rosin claims that many studies did not show significant benefits of breastfeeding, but her online research appears to have missed more recent information. In 2007, the DHHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published an Evidence Report conducted by independent experts who reviewed only high quality studies. The report found that a lack of breastfeeding was associated with a statistically significant increased incidence of several acute and chronic diseases affecting both mother and child." Click here to read the full USBC letter. As a society, we should value the breastfeeding experience, not only for its health benefits, but also as a way for mothers and babies to enjoy the emotional benefits of bonding. First 5 LA works to ensure that mothers and infants can participate in breastfeeding in a way that can fit into the workplace and the lifestyle of the 21st Century mother.
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