T-L Photo/ ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Commissioners Josh Meyer, left, J.P. Dutton and Jerry Echemann recognize August as National Breastfeeding Month Wednesday. Linda Mehl and Women Infants and Children supervisor Lori DeCoy, registered nurses, spoke before the commissioners.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners recognized August as National Breastfeeding Awareness Month Wednesday and had nurses speak about their work encouraging the health of the youngest residents of Belmont County.

Linda Mehl and supervisor Lori DeCoy, registered nurses and bachelors of science in nursing, represented the county’s Women, Infants and Children program. The women informed commissioners that Aug. 1 through Aug. 7 is World Breastfeeding Week. They said research suggests breastfeeding is a key factor in health benefits.

The World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding with the addition of appropriate solid food for the first year and beyond.

“In the light of the monetary and life-saving benefits of breastfeeding, all elements of the community must cooperate and support breastfeeding,” DeCoy said. “Ultimately our whole society benefits from having healthier mothers, babies and children when breastfeeding is promoted, protected and supported.”

She advised community members and businesses to help mothers to feel comfortable while breastfeeding. DeCoy and Mehl said WIC provides formula for mothers who choose not to breastfeed.

Afterward, they said there are between 40 and 50 breastfeeding women on the WIC program at any given day, and the numbers fluctuate. They added that participation seems to be down, possibly due to factors such as the aging population, decreasing birthrates, and the opiate epidemic, which could discourage some from participating for fear of having an addiction discovered.

In other matters, Commissioners Josh Meyer, J.P. Dutton and Jerry Echemann noted they are continuing to receive updates on the upper building formerly belonging to The Health Plan, purchased by the county to house the county courts and prosecutor’s office. The commissioners expect to have plans before them in a matter of months.

“We hope to have designs finalized soon,” Dutton said. “Then it will be going out to bid.”

He added that the board of elections and title office have settled in to the lower building.

The commissioners also continue to work with new county auditor Anthony Rocchio toward drafting a budget. They expect the top expense to again be the sheriff’s office, which faces ongoing jail overcrowding resulting in the commissioners housing inmates out of county at a cost.

For more information on WIC, the Help Me Grow help line is 1-800-755 GROW, or the WIC office can be reached at 740-676-2232.