WHEREAS, breastfeeding is recommended by the United States Surgeon General and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health as the optimal method of infant feeding; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding is recognized by major medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Academy of Nutrition and Die the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations International Children's' Emergency Fund, and the World Health Organization the preferred method of infant feeding and support breastfeeding throughout the early years of life; and

WHEREAS, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, the Asian American Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Task Force, the Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association, and the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective celebrate breastfeeding throughout the month of August; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada supports breastfeeding as a high priority to improve the health and food security of infants and young children; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding promotes healthier mothers, infants, and children, and benefits communities through lower health care costs and a more stable workforce; and

WHEREAS, scientific data indicates human milk optimally enhances the growth, development and well-being of the infant by providing the best possible nutrition; and

WHEREAS, human milk is a safe, readily available infant feeding choice, containing growth factors, anti-cancer HAMLET cells, and disease fighting STEM cells which benefit the health of infants; and

WHEREAS, human milk is easily digested and contains antibodies passed from the mother to the infant which help protect against illness and allergies; and

WHEREAS, the families of Nevada need reliable sources of information to make informed choices about the care and feeding of their infants;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOE LOMBARDO, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim the month of August 2023 as

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS MONTH IN NEVADA