AboutBreastfeeding.ca Website Offers New Resource for Parents and Health-Care Providers in Durham Region

Parents and health-care providers can now use AboutBreastfeeding.ca, a digital platform launched on June 10, 2025, in Oshawa by Dr. Jennifer Abbass Dick of Ontario Tech University. The website, created in partnership with Lakeridge Health and the Durham Region Health Department according to Ontario Tech University, features resources for both home and clinical use, including printable handouts and posters with QR codes for online materials.

According to information from Ontario Tech University, Canadian data from 2024 shows there were nearly 360,000 births. More than 90 per cent of parents began breastfeeding, but fewer than 40 per cent continued exclusively for the recommended first six months. Ontario Tech University notes this drop is partly linked to difficulties in accessing understandable information and support.

Ontario Tech University reports the project began with the Durham Region Health Department in 2014 and expanded to include Lakeridge Health in 2019. Digital tools related to Dr. Abbass Dick’s research received about 6,000 users each year. Feedback from these users, cited by the university, indicated a need for a unified and accessible resource, which led to the development of AboutBreastfeeding.ca.

Ontario Tech University stated the website was co-developed with feedback from diverse families, including fathers, Indigenous families, and young single parents. Dr. Abbass Dick said the website aims to help families understand lactation, address common challenges, and recognize when to get support from health-care professionals.

Kelly Pigeau, Public Health Nurse with the Durham Region Health Department, said in a statement that the website is intended to support consistent information sharing among health-care providers. Ava Onwudegwu, Director at Lakeridge Health, said the project was meant to make evidence-based breastfeeding information accessible to families in Durham Region.