Dental Health Week (2nd-8th August)

by Grace | Jul 27, 2021 | Workplace Education

Dental Health Week (DHW) is the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) major annual oral health campaign.

According to the Australian Dental Association (ADA) (2021):

• 75% adults rarely or never floss or clean between their teeth.
• 1 in 5 adults brush only once per day.
• 39% of parents report their children drink 2 – 5 soft drinks per week.
• 2 in 3 adults usually visit the dentist for a problem rather than a regular check-up.
• 47% of adults (18+ years) consume too much sugar.

The ADA aims to deliver 4 key messages for the 2021 campaign:

• Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
• Clean between your teeth daily using floss or interdental brushes.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and limit added sugar intake.
• Visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and preventive care (usually every 6-12 months or otherwise advised by your dentist);

World Breastfeeding Week (1-7th August 2021)

by Grace | Jul 27, 2021 | Workplace Education

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

According to the Australian Breastfeeding Association (2021) and Raising Children (2021).

• Breastmilk contains all the nutrients your baby needs for around the first six months of life. Your baby doesn’t need any water or foods other than breastmilk in these early months. Although baby formula manufacturers try to copy breastmilk as closely as they can, formula won’t ever be exactly the same as breastmilk.
• Both colostrum and mature breastmilk contain antibodies, good bacteria and other agents that help reduce your baby’s risk of infections and conditions like gastroenteritis, respiratory tract infections, ear infections, type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes, and obesity;
• The taste of breastmilk changes with whatever you’ve eaten, which means that breastfed babies are likely to accept new tastes when they start eating solids;
• Breastfeeding is important for baby eyesight, speech, jaw and mouth development;
• Breastmilk is easy to digest and is easily absorbed into your baby’s system;
• It increases a baby’s resistance to infection and disease;
• It’s convenient, cheap and always there when you need it;
• It’s always fresh, clean and safe;
• It quickly soothes a fussy, unhappy baby;
• Breastfeeding helps create a close and loving bond between you and your baby and can be a deeply satisfying experience for you both;
• The good fats in breastmilk are important for baby brain development;

Breastfeeding and work:

Many mothers successfully combine work and breastfeeding. Our work environment continues to change, and as many more women return to the work force, many workplaces now have greater awareness of the importance of individual family responsibilities, and include this in workplace policies. Breastfeeding still tends to be left up to the woman to discuss with her employer on an individual basis – Australian Breastfeeding Association (2021). Options may include the following:

• Expressing and providing your childcare service with your breastmilk;
• Discuss with your employer that you may require a private room (not the toilet area) with a comfortable chair, a refrigerator where you can store expressed breastmilk, somewhere to store an electric breast pump or manual breast pump, and time to express milk during lunch break and other breaks if necessary. Time could be made up at the end of the day.
• You may be able to have your baby brought to you at work. Talk about this with your employer. Discuss the possibility of breastfeeding during breaks and lunchtime, and flexible work hours and breaks.
• Consider the purchase of an electric breast pump to make expressing sessions at work quicker.
• Be aware that expressing may seem difficult at first but most working mothers say they improve very quickly, and the benefits are worth the initial effort.

For more information on breastfeeding, the Australian Breastfeeding Association has all the answer to your questions – https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/index.html

*It is the decision of the mother whether she would like to breastfeed, and it also may be dependent on various factors why she cannot or sometimes it just doesn’t work out. As always, WHS Vic are here to provide helpful information (both to individuals and workplaces) and are always non-judgemental towards the choices of any individual.