Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to encourage and recognize hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother-baby bonding.

Pronunciation

Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative: /ˈbeɪbi ˈfrɛndli ˈhɒspɪtl ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv/

Etymology

The term "Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative" was coined by the WHO and UNICEF in 1991 to describe their new global effort to promote and support breastfeeding in hospitals and birthing centers.

Related Terms

Breastfeeding: The method of feeding a baby with milk directly from the mother's breast.
Infant formula: A manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age.
Skin-to-skin contact: A method of caring for newborn infants which involves direct skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her baby.
Rooming-in: A practice where babies remain with their mothers 24 hours a day instead of being cared for in a separate nursery.

Description

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is a comprehensive, evidence-based program designed to provide mothers with the information, confidence, and skills necessary to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies or safely feed with infant formula when necessary. The initiative encourages hospitals to implement the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" and to adhere to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding

The "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" are a set of evidence-based practices that have been shown to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration. They include:

Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.
Train all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast-milk, unless medically indicated.
Practice rooming-in - allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
Give no artificial teats or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants.
Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative
Wikipedia's article - Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

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Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative