Today our topic of discussion is Baby Friendly Hospital.
Baby Friendly Hospital
BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL
Introduction
- Baby-friendly hospital is a movement under which breastfeeding is protected and encouraged
- Baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI) was launched in 1922 as part of the Innocenti
- Declaration on promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding by WHO and UNICEF (Fig. 34.8)
- BFHI is a global programs organized by UNICEF, after
- the introduction in 1992, exclusive demand feeding is accepted as the only mode of early infant feeding
- BFHI plus program incorporates other child survival and safe motherhood components like immunizations antenatal care, oral rehydration therapy ARI control programs.
Steps in Global BFHI
- A written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicate to all healthcare staff
- Training of all cares staff in skilled necessary to implement this policy
- Informing all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding
- Helping mothers initiative breastfeeding within a half hour of birth
- Showing mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they should be separated from their infants
- Giving newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk
- In practicing room, allow mother and infants to remain together for 24 hours a day
- Encouraging breastfeeding on demand Giving no artificial teats or pacifiers
- Fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from hospital or clinic.
Objectives of BFHI
International pediatric association conference objectives:
- To enable mother to make an informed choice about how to feed their babies
- To support early initiation of breast feeding
- To promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4-6 months
- To discourage commercial infant milk substitutes being supplied free to hospital.