BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE

Revised, Updated and Expanded for Integrated Care

“Maternity”, 1963, © 2003 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Session 1

The Baby Friendly Hospital

Initiative: A Part of the Global
Strategy
 Session Objectives:
1. State the aim of the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy
for Infant and Young Child Feeding;
2. Outline the aims of the Baby-Friendly Hospital
Initiative (BFHI);
3. Describe why BFHI is important in areas of high
HIV prevalence;
4. Explain how this course can assist this facility at
this time.
5. Review how this course fits with other activities
 Effects of poor infant feeding practices:
• About 5500 children die everyday
• Suffer long-term effects:
> impaired development
> malnutrition
> increased infectious / chronic
illness
> rising rates of obesity in
children
 Global Strategy for Infant and Young
Child Feeding
The aim of the Global Strategy is to improve
– through optimal feeding – the nutritional status,
growth and development, health, and thus the
survival of infants and young children.
It supports exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months,
with timely, adequate, safe and appropriate
complementary feeding, while continuing
breastfeeding for two years and beyond.
It also supports maternal nutrition, and social
and community support.
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 Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative
• Global initiative of WHO and UNICEF that aims
to give every baby the best start in life by
creating a health care environment that
supports breastfeeding as the norm.

• Launched in 1991 and by the end of 2007,

more than 20,000 health facilities had been
officially designated baby-friendly.
 Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative
• Includes a global assessment and
accreditation that recognizes the
achievements of health facilities whose
practices support breastfeeding and
encourages health facilities with less than
optimal practices to improve.
• To date, there are 39 health facilities
nationwide which are mother-baby friendly
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The aim of the

Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

To implement the Ten Steps to

Successful Breastfeeding and to
end the distribution of free and
low-cost supplies of breast milk
substitutes to health facilities.
 BFHI is important in areas of
high HIV prevalence

• Special needs of HIV+ women can be

accommodated.
• WHO/UNICEF policy statement, the right to
information and support.
• Continue to support women who are HIV (-)
or unknown status.
 How this course can assist
your health facility
• Discuss the Ten Steps and how to
implement them
• Importance of making the facility Baby
Friendly
• Talk about practices related to marketing of
breastmilk substitutes
• Assessment process
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Course Aims
The aim of this course is that
every staff member will confidently
support mothers with early and
exclusive breastfeeding,
and that this facility moves towards
achieving Baby-friendly designation.
 You will learn & practice
• Communication skills
• Implement 10 steps, abide by the EO 51
• Discuss importance of breastfeeding
• Facilitate skin to skin contact
• Positioning and attachment
• Support BF upon discharged
• Know whom & where to refer
• Seek ways to overcome barriers
 How the global strategy fits with
other activities
It is supported by national policies, laws and
programs to promote, protect and support
breastfeeding and protect the rights of working
women to maternity protection.

National programs like:

IYCF / EO 51 / BFHI / maternity leave laws /
Expanded Breastfeeding Act etc.