World Breastfeeding Week and The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

What is the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)?

•  The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative encourages hospitals and birthing centers to develop policies and implement practices that support mothers in their choice to breastfeed. These hospitals are recognized for implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. These hospitals apply for and receive a certificate of intent from Baby-Friendly USA.

What are the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding?

1. Maintain a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff. 
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within 1 hour after birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice "rooming in"- allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage unrestricted breastfeeding.
9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups, and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

**The BFHI promotes the early initiation of breastfeeding. A study conducted by Edmonds found that 16% of deaths could be prevented if all infants were breastfed from day 1 and 22% of neonatal deaths could be averted if breastfeeding were started in the first hour.

For more information on the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and lists of Baby Friendly Hospitals click here.

All of this information on the BFHI brings me to World Breastfeeding Week 2012.

This week is the 20th World Breastfeeding Week by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). 20 years ago the very first World Breastfeeding Week was about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The focus is to look back on the years and contemplate what has happened and why in terms of breastfeeding.

The World Breastfeeding Week 2012 objectives are as follows:

1. To recall what has happened in the past 20 years on infant and young child feeding.
2. Te celebrate successes and achievements nationally, regionally and globally and showcase national work at global level.
3. To assess the status of implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
4. To call for action to bridge the remaining gaps in policy and programmes on breastfeeding and IYCF.
5. To draw public attention on the state of policy and programmes on breastfeeding and IYCF.

To learn more about World Breastfeeding Week click here