Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

1. BABY FRIENDLY
HOSPITAL INITIATE
DR. ASIF BAGWAN
1ST Yr. PEDIATRIC RESIDENT

2. INTRODUCTION
• The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was
launched in 1991 By UNICEF and WHO. It was
adopted by India in 1993. It has served as a
motivating force and maternity facilities all around
the world to implement policies and practices that
support breastfeeding.

3. • The baby friendly hospital initiative
(BFHI) seeks to provide mothers and
babies with a good start for
breastfeeding, increasing the
likelihood that babies will be breastfed
exclusively for six month and then
given appropriate foods while
breastfeeding continues for two years
or beyond.

4. • Every year, the ‘World Breastfeeding Week' (WBW) is
celebrated from 1st to 7st of August. Breastfeeding is
now accepted as a human right, a right of the baby as well
as the mother.

5. Goals of BFHI
• 1. To transform hospitals and pediatric facilities to BFH
through implementation of TEN STEPS.
• 2. To end the practice of distribution of free and low cost
supplies of breast milk substitutes to hospitals, medical
colleges.

6. • The Baby Friendly Hospital are required to adopt breast
feeding policy and follow the "TEN STEPS OF SUCCESSFUL
BREASTFEEDING" as recommended by code of practice by
WHO and UNICEF

7. • a. It should be in local language
understandable to patient, relatives
and our staff
• b. It should be easily available to staff
caring for mother as well as babies
• c. It should be displayed in obstetric
and pediatric ward where most of
mother and babies cared
1. To Have a written breastfeeding policy that is
routinely communicated to all health care staff.

8. • The health care staff should get
practical training to implement
theses 10 steps of successful
breastfeeding. They should be
taught the skill needed to assist
the nursing mothers for expression
of breast milk, correct positioning
for breast feeding.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to
implement this policy.

9. • During Antenatal period mother
should be informed and educated
about benefits of breastfeeding,
early initiation, importance of
rooming in, feeding on demand,
exclusive breastfeeding and risk of
artificial feeding and use bottle fed
pacifiers. Antenatal education
should not include group education
on formula preparation.
3.Inform all pregnant women about the benefits
and management of breastfeeding.

10. • Encourage mother baby
bonding soon after delivery
and encourage all the mothers
to initiate breastfeeding within
an hour after birth
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within an
hour of birth

11. • Mothers should be taught the
art of breastfeeding including
position and technique of
breastfeeding.
• Helping the mothers with
common breastfeeding
problems and should be taught
with correct technique of
breastfeeding
5.Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to
maintain lactation even if they should be
separated from their infants.

12. • Newborn always be breastfed
but there are rare exceptions
during which the infant may
require other fluids in addition
to, or in place of Brest milk.
• The feeding program in these
babies should be determined by
Qualified Health Professionals
on individual basis.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other
than breast milk, unless medically indicated.

13. • A hospital should make
arrangements that mother and
baby stay in the same room
day and night allowing
unlimited contact between
mother and staff
7. Practise rooming-in and allow mothers and
infants to remain together 24 hours a day

14. • Breastfeeding the baby
when mother and or child
wants
8.Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

15. • Pacifier should not be given
to babies due to risk of
infection and non nutritive
sucking.
• Expressed breast milk should
be administered through
bowl and spoon but not
feeding bottles
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called
dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.

16. 10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding
support groups and refer mothers to them on
discharge from the hospital or clinic.