December 5, 2012 – Public Health Launches New Campaign to Promote Benefits of Early Bonding and Attachment for Parents and Infants
According to a new campaign launched today by Peterborough Public Health, holding babies skin-to-skin right after birth does more than simply feel good, it offers numerous health benefits to both mothers and their newborns.
“Early bonding and attachment between parents and their baby is important and establishes long term health benefits for infants,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “Research has shown that bonding improves emotional and psychological wellbeing and coping skills as the baby grows up. Skin-to-skin care helps provide the best possible start to a child’s life.”
Skin-to-skin is a way of holding a baby where an undressed (or diapered) baby is placed on their mother’s bare chest. This is the most natural place for a baby to adjust to life outside of the womb and a mother’s body provides a warm environment for her infant. Infants placed skin-to-skin immediately after birth have been shown to have reduced crying and improved breastfeeding success compared to those babies that are swaddled at birth. The first hours of snuggling skin-to-skin helps a mother and baby bond and get to know each other.
Dr. Salvaterra noted that dads, partners, and close family members are also encouraged to hold newborns skin-to-skin in the weeks after birth. “They will bond more with the baby and develop a healthy, loving relationship,” she explained.
The emotional and physiological benefits of skin-to-skin contact for both mother and baby are considerable:
Benefits for Baby:
- cry less and are calmer
- breastfeed better
- stay warmer
- have better blood sugar levels
- are protected by their mother’s good bacteria
Benefits for Mom:
- learns the cues that her baby is hungry
- breastfeeds more easily
- bonds with her baby
- gains confidence in caring for her baby
Skin-to-skin is very easy and consists of only these five simple steps:
Step 1 -Take off your baby’s blanket and clothing. Leave a diaper on.
Step 2 -Move clothing away from your chest and tummy.
Step 3 -Hold your baby, facing you, against your chest or tummy.
Step 4 -Put a blanket over you and your baby for warmth.
Step 5 -Enjoy the closeness and bonding with your baby.
The Public Health hopes to reach as many families with newborns as possible with this important message in a City and County-wide awareness campaign featuring local mothers and their infants. The skin-to-skin campaign will be seen on Peterborough buses, on posters, and will be directly promoted to healthcare providers as well.
Each year, there are approximately 1,100 to 1,200 babies born in Peterborough City and County.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Officer
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391
December 4, 2012 – Local tenants and landlords seeking relief from drifting smoke between rental units now have allies and tools to help them make their building completely smoke-free.
The Peterborough Public Health, together with the local chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society, launched a new campaign today that informs landlords and tenants of their abilities to enact smoke-free clauses within their leases.
“This is the season when Public Health receives more complaints from renters about drifting smoke from neighbouring units, something we take very seriously because we know there is no safe, acceptable level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “Introducing no smoking policies is a win-win for both tenants and landlords; producing cleaner indoor air for all and a healthier bottom line for owners and managers in terms of less cleaning and operational costs.”
Dr. Salvaterra noted with approximately 15,000 multi-unit dwellings in the city and county combined, this initiative has the potential to benefit thousands of local residents. People interested in creating smoke-free policies for their rental buildings can simply contact Public Health for a personal consultation on the process, sample leases, policies, and other resources to help them. In the last few years, many Peterborough landlords have successfully enacted smoke-free policies.
“The Canadian Cancer Society is to proud to be partnering with the Peterborough County-City Health unit in support of the Smoke-Free Homes campaign,” said Nancy Sinopoli, Community Services Coordinator, Canadian Cancer Society, Peterborough & District Unit. “We are concerned about the issue of second-hand smoke in multi-unit dwellings because 4.5 million Ontarians live in apartments, condos or co-ops. Recently, we commissioned an Ipsos Reid poll that showed one-third of these people are being involuntarily exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes. Landlords should be able to provide smoke-free living options so that people can choose to protect their own health at home.”
The Smoke-Free Rental Homes campaign hopes to raise awareness about the local supports available through transit ads on city buses, online banner ads on Kijiji, and on Public Health’s website www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.
People in multi-unit dwellings can become exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes through:
- shared ventilation and heating systems ;
- cracks and gaps around sinks, countertops, windows, doors, floors, walls or dropped ceilings ; and
- electrical outlets, cable or phone jacks, or ceiling fixtures.
For further information, visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and click on the Smoke Free Homes page under “My Home & Environment”, or go to www.smokefreehousingon.ca.
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For further information, please contact:
Jane Hoffmeyer
Tobacco Use Prevention Program
(705) 743-1000, ext. 332
