News & Alerts

Since the COVID-19 vaccines have been available, many pregnant and breastfeeding parents have had some hesitation about vaccination. Some of this has been led by misinformation while some has been led by genuine and understandable concern. All expecting and new parents want to do what is best for their little one — this is what CK Public Health wants too. … Read More

Anxiety towards needles and/or vaccines is a real challenge for many adults and can be a barrier to getting the COVID-19 vaccine. This fear can affect anyone and does not mean that someone is being too sensitive. In fact, the fear of needles is quite common. It affects up to 1 in 4 adults and the majority of children. Getting … Read More

We live in an age of information. With the internet, people have unprecedented access to information. Unfortunately, a lot of that information can be misleading or plain inaccurate. Sometimes it is more difficult that you think it would be to evaluate the reliability of the source. In the age of COVID-19, misinformation has played a huge and dangerous role in … Read More

Racial Inequity We know that breastfeeding is the best option for feeding your baby, across all ages and races, but, do you think race affects breastfeeding rates? Studies have shown that race may, in fact, play a part in a mother’s decision or ability to breastfeed and for the length of time she decides to do so. Why is this … Read More

Social Inclusion What does it take for a Chatham-Kent mother to be able to meet the Global Infant Feeding Recommendation of exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months and then continuing to breastfeed and feed solid foods for up to 2 years? It takes a system that supports breastfeeding and includes pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in research, understanding that most … Read More

Health Services In the first 1,000 days of your child’s life you will come in contact with Health Services in multiple settings that can provide a WARM CHAIN that supports your breastfeeding goals. PRENATALLY your Public Health Unit can provide online classes.  Your Health Care Professional (Midwife/ Obstetrician/Nurse Practitioner/Family Doctor) can inform all pregnant women and their partners about the … Read More

Breastfeeding: Food Security and Income Over the past year and a half the COVID pandemic increased the number of families struggling to have enough to eat and food insecurity has become a concern for many. Studies show that during an emergency, like a pandemic, children that are not breastfeeding are at greatest risk of malnutrition and illness because supplies can … Read More

Breastfeeding when there are special needs When a mother has a disability, or gives birth to a child with special needs, they may think that breastfeeding is a goal they can’t reach. Although more support may be needed, breastfeeding is usually possible, and can be even more important. Mothers who are experiencing a physical disability may need more support to … Read More

Early Childhood Development Did you know that healthy foods and healthy feeding habits help build a healthy brain? Brain development is a lifelong process, the first three years of a child’s life are the most critical for brain development. As a parent or caregiver, feeding choices are one of the first decisions you will make to give your child the … Read More

The numbers… Are you looking at the rising number of vaccines in the community, next to the rising number of cases and thinking to yourself, “Wait a second? I thought vaccines were supposed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus?” Well, you’re not the only one. But, let’s take a deeper look! We should all know by now that … Read More

Everyone born in 2009 now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination The Government of Ontario recently announced that, as of Wednesday, August 18, 2021, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all youth born in 2009. Up until this point, a person needed to be 12 years old, not turning 12, to receive the vaccine. The change may have some people … Read More