1.
PRESENTATION BY
Ms. Chandani Modi
BABY FRIENDLY
HOSPITAL INITIATIVE

2.
INTRODUCTION
 BFHI was launched jointly by WHO and UNICEF in
March 1992 in order to encourage and promote
EBF.
 Bottle feeding is the killer of babies so BFHI was
launched to resurrect the dwindling practice of BF.

3.
AIM
 Improving the knowledge, attitude and practices of
health care workers by providing them with
knowledge and skills to promote EBF among infants
upto the age of 6 months.

4.
STEP
 The following steps are recognized as minimum
global criteria for attaining the status of Baby
Friendly Hospital:
1. Have a written breast feeding policy that is
routinely communicated to all health staff.
2. Train health care staff in skills necessary to
implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and
management of breast feeding.

5.
4. Help mothers to initiate breast feeding within half
hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breast feed and how to
maintain lactation if they are separated from their
infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than
breast milk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice rooming-in and allow mothers and infants
to remain together round the clock.

6.
8. Encourage breast feeding on demand. Mothers
should breast feed the babies whenever they are
hungry and not according to the clock.
9. Give no artificial feeds or pacifiers to the baby.
10. Foster the establishment of breast feeding support
groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from
hospital.

7.
 The BFHI movement is active in India under a
National Task Force comprising of Government of
India, UNICEF, WHO, Voluntary organizations and
many professional bodies.

8.
RECOGNITION
 A hospital that conducts a minimum of 250
deliveries per year can seek the recognition.
 The hospital / nursing home meeting all the ten
criteria is visited by an “Assessor” for on the spot
checks and to interview the mothers and health care
staff.
 The hospital fulfilling the national BFHI
requirements are recognized as “Baby Friendly”.