Press Centre 2004/03/24: Exclusive Breastfeeding

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in Turkey

A steady improvement in breastfeeding pactices in Turkey

Ankara, Turkey, 24th March 2004 -- Data on breastfeeding for all children reveals that the initiation of breastfeeding takes place rather late in Turkey. Only half of the children who are breastfed are introduced to breast-milk during the first hour following birth (Turkey Demographic and Health Survey TDHS-1998) although 95% of mothers start breastfeeding. Compared to TDHS-1993, the results of TDHS-1998 show that there is a significant increase in the percentage of children introduced to breast-milk within the first hour or first day following birth. This increase has occurred in all regions and is true for all levels of education. According to TDHS-1993, only one fifth of children were introduced to breast-milk during the first hour following birth whereas TDHS-1998 shows that more than half of new-borns were being introduced to breast-milk during this time.

The research shows that breast-feeding is widespread in Turkey and that almost all babies are breastfed during the first months after delivery. According to the TDHS-1998 data, 93% of babies in the first three months and 77% of babies between four and six months are breast-fed and the ratio decreases to 55% by the end of the first year. The average duration of breastfeeding is 13.7 months. However, despite the duration of breast-feeding, failure to introduce supplementary foods at the appropriate time creates problems and leads to malnutrition. Only one in ten babies is exclusively breast-fed during the first month of life and the other nine are given water and supplementary foods that may prove to do more harm than good. Besides breast-milk, 33% of babies are given water and 49% are given supplementary foods during the first month. Only 10% of infants younger than three months of age receive no supplementary foods. Again, one out of five babies in this group is given infant formula.

Better results on these indicators are expected from the 2003 TDHS, preliminary results of which will be available in June 2004.

BFHI coordination

The Baby Friendly Hospitals Initiative (BFHI) has been operating in Turkey since 1991 with the support of UNICEF Turkey.

The National Breastfeeding Committee was established in 1991 with UNICEF Turkey as a member. WHO/UNICEF training materials including the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding along with eighteen-hour and forty-eight-hour course texts were translated and adapted for the country.

The Turkish Republic has signed the ‘Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding’ and is committed to implementing WHO/UNICEF Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. A draft National Code has been prepared which is expected to be approved and to be put into effect early in 2004.

Since the launch of the BFHI, improvements in breastfeeding practices have been observed in obstetric hospitals.

Total number of Baby Friendly Hospitals

So far, 205 Turkish hospitals have received the Baby Friendly award. There are 816 hospitals in Turkey with maternity wards and 56% births are conducted in Baby Friendly Hospitals. There is at least one Baby Friendly Hospital in 62 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces.

Expanding BFHI beyond the maternity setting

• A Mothers’ Support system on baby friendly counselling was established in collaboration with NGOs in three provinces. This year the system will be expanded to include a further five provinces.
• Health centres, districts and provinces are being encouraged to become baby friendly. Eight provinces are certified as being Baby Friendly and a further ten will be certified this year.
• Press and publicity campaigns during International Breastfeeding Week (between October 1st and 7th each year) focus on the BFHI.
• Television spots featuring celebrities promoting baby friendly messages are broadcast.
• Advocacy to include ‘Counselling on Breastfeeding’ in the medical and midwifery school curricula is ongoing.
• A separate project -- ‘Exclusive Breastfeeding During the First Six Months’ is ongoing in İstanbul and Diyarbakır with the support of a well-known company.

Further information

Turkey’s Minister of Health is committed to increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates and certifying all hospitals Baby Friendly in 2004.

The National Plan of Action on Food and Nutrition emphasises the promotion of breastfeeding.

The Ministry of Health’s (MOH) national campaign to control Iron Deficiency Anæmia among children between four and twenty-four months old also promotes breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding messages are integrated in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) projects and programmes which involve all aspects of childcare including health.

For more information:

Dr Dilek Haznedaroğlu, Ministry of Health,
General Directorate of MCH-FP
Department of Adolescent and Child Health
+90 (0)312 431 48 31

Sema Hosta, Communication Officer, UNICEF Turkey
+90 (0)533 622 83 46

Ebru Bakkaloğlu, Public Relations Director,
Coca-Cola,
+90 (0)216 556 20 54

Dilge Bayer, Media House Communication
+90 (0)212 351 91 81

Read more about Exclusive Breastfeeding During the First Six Months in Programmes 2001-2005 Section. The Autumn, 2003, issue of Say Yes, the quarterly newsletter of UNICEF Turkey, has more information about the campaign to promote ‘Exclusive Breastfeeding During the First Six Months’.

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