According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for your baby for the first six months and can be continued for as long as both mother and baby desire it. This is true, even for mothers who smoke cigarettes or use e-cigarette products.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) offers these tips to smoking mothers:
· Do not smoke near the infant
· smoke outside
· have smoke-free rules for the car and home
· change clothes and wash your hands after smoking and before handling the infant
Breastfed babies receive nutrients that only their mothers can provide, and mothers lower their risk of developing diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Mothers and babies shouldn’t miss out on these benefits. The Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) at MSDH offers a specialized program called Baby and Me Tobacco Free. The Baby and Me Tobacco Free program and OTC work together to inspire and empower pregnant women and their families to overcome nicotine addiction through personalized counseling and incentives.
“Quitting smoking provides new health and protection to you and your baby, no matter when you quit,” said Kimberly Stevens, Director of the Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition of Warren and Claiborne Counties. “These benefits are more important now than ever.” For help with quitting visit www.quitlinems.com, or call the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
The WIC program encourages all mothers to choose breastfeeding for good nutrition from the beginning. Eligible WIC clients can now get breastfeeding support 24 hours a day for FREE with the Pacify app. Pacify connects WIC participants with live lactation consultants who are available 24/7 via video, offering breastfeeding support and answering feeding-related questions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say breastfed infants are at lower risk for developing diabetes and are less likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The Mississippi State Department of Health reports that SIDS is the third leading cause of infant mortality in the state. A contributing factor to SIDS deaths is secondhand smoke. Breastfeeding and quitting smoking are best for the health of both mother and child. For information about the dangers of cigarettes visit www.healthyms.com/tobacco. For information about WIC and how to apply visit www.healthyms.com/WIC.