The aim of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is to improve the health of babies throughout the world. Only three Ohio hospitals and 67 American hospitals have “Baby Friendly” status.
“WHO and UNICEF aim to make all US hospitals Baby Friendly in the next 10 years as a matter of public health,” said Belinda Masters, director of the Southview Maternity Center. “This is such a thrill for us because it recognizes our effort to provide optimal care for lactation, which is so important for child development. It requires a great deal of training for staff, and it provides wonderful benefits for mothers and babies.”
Baby Friendly steps include:
• Routinely communicating a written breastfeeding policy to train staff • Helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth • Encouraging parents to give infants no food other than breast milk, unless medically indicated • Encouraging mothers to remain with their infants 24 hours a day during their hospital stay • Showing mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants • Encouraging unrestricted breastfeeding
“Many people aren’t aware that breastfeeding is believed to protect moms from diseases like diabetes and breast cancer,” said Donna Walls, lactation educator at Southview and President of the Ohio Lactation Consultant Association. “Of course, there is nothing better than breast milk to provide babies with antibodies to build their immune systems. Baby Friendly is an important initiative, and you will definitely hear more about it in the coming years.”
To learn more about the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, please see their web site at www.babyfriendlyusa.org