In June 2006 the Thunder Bay District Health Unit became the first Community Health Service in Ontario to receive designation as a “Baby-Friendly Community Health Service” by the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada based on the World Health Organization & United Nations Children’s Fund Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative prinicples. read the news release
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global campaign of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that was initiated in 1991 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
This program recognizes hospitals and maternity facilities that offer an optimal level of care for mothers and infants. A Baby-Friendly hospital focuses on the needs of the newborns and empowers mothers and families to give their infant the best possible start in life. In practical terms, a Baby-Friendly hospital encourages and helps women to successfully initiate and continue to breastfeed their babies, and will receive special recognition for having done so. Baby-Friendly facilities educate pregnant women about feeding choices for their baby and then support the mothers in the choices they make.
Since the inception of the program, over 15,000 hospitals worldwide have received the Baby-Friendly designation. In 2002 the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada provided guidelines for community health care services to achieve designation. The initiative is generally referred to as the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI).
Click here for the Baby-Friendly sites in Canada.
How Do You Get the Designation?
A Baby-Friendly Hospital follows The Ten Steps to help you succeed at breastfeeding.
- Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
- Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
- Help mothers to initiate breastfeeding within a half hour of birth.
- Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be 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 (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
- Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
From: Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding: The Special Role of Maternity Services, A joint WHO/UNICEF statement. Published by the Work Health Organization, 1989.
A Baby-Friendly Community Health Service supports your decision to breastfeed by following The Seven Point Plan.
- Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
- Train all staff involved in the care of mothers and babies in the skills necessary to implement the policy.
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
- Support mothers to establish and maintain exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months.
- Encourage continued breastfeeding beyond 6 months, with appropriate introduction of other foods.
- Provide a welcoming atmosphere for breastfeeding families.
- Promote a co-operation between health care staff, breastfeeding support groups and the local community.
From: The Baby-Friendly Initiative in community Health Services: A Canadian Implementation Guide. Published by The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada.
Posters
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has developed two posters to assist facilities in their efforts to become Baby-Friendly.
Is your health care Baby-Friendly?
It's time to take your first steps
More Information
Everyone involved benefits from a Baby-Friendly environment. If you are interested in more information about the Baby-Friendly Initiative visit the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada, the Ontario Breastfeeding Committee or call Laura at 807-625-5952.