Challenge History
In 2000, a Quintessence board member, Wah Wong, suggested that the Quintessence Foundation sponsor a "latch on". He had heard about a similar event held in Australia in 1999 when 536 children "latched on" at the same time in the same location. With some reservations, the Board agreed, and in 2001 the first Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge was held.
The sites were restricted to British Columbia, the most western province in Canada, and the response was excellent — 856 children breastfeeding at 26 sites throughout the province. This first Challenge was done under the rules of the Guinness World Record with the goal of having the most women at one site. Our application to Guinness for a multi-site simultaneous category was refused, and upon reflection it was decided to design our own rules to count every child breastfeeding at 11am local time at every registered site.
In 2002 we opened registration to any participant in Canada, and in 2003 the United States was included. In subsequent years registration has included mothers from anywhere in the world. Each year the numbers gradually grew until 2020, when the onslaught of a pandemic overwhelmed most health units. The biggest site that year was a "virtual" event run from Montreal for the province of Quebec.
Currently we encourage communities to celebrate Canadian National Breastfeeding Week with a "latch on" if that works in their community. No matter what the size, all events are important to supporting breastfeeding families.
With no advertising budget, word has spread via the internet and word of mouth. Sites have varied widely — large groups at malls, government buildings and parks, to small groups in homes, public health offices, WIC offices, midwives' and doctors' offices, and hospitals including NICUs.
The Quintessence Challenge occurs in the fall during or close to when Canada celebrates World Breastfeeding Week in the first week of October. The date selected was usually the first Saturday in October. In 2019, we shifted to including any site that registers and holds a Challenge event during the first week of October — based on feedback received from across Canada.
This event has encouraged community discussion about issues related to breastfeeding and donor milk banking. It has provided a focus for health promotion around human milk and the importance of breastfeeding, and the key role it plays in the health of a community.
"Latch Ons" Around the World
A large group in Berkeley, California challenged the Australian record and set a new world record of 1,130 children breastfeeding simultaneously at one site.
The Philippines set a new world record of 3,738 children breastfeeding simultaneously at one site.
The Philippines held a second challenge with 590 sites and 22,500+ children breastfeeding simultaneously. Organized by Children for Breastfeeding and the Nurturers of the Earth in partnership with WABA.
New Zealand recorded 1,111 children breastfeeding at 10am local time on August 1. Quintessence Foundation and organizers in France and the Philippines agreed to hold a global challenge on the same day — October 11, 2008.
"The Big Latch On" included 28 participating countries, 778 locations, over 21,500 breastfed children, and more than 60,000 attendees.
"This is not a competition among nations, rather it is a global effort to save children's lives."