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Message Exchange and Events
Are you interested in establishing a Baby-friendly
Hospital ? Do you have questions about the Code ? Or do you have experiences
you would like to share with others ?
Please send your questions, ideas or answers to: mlabbok@unicef.org
Guidelines for submission - Keep
your message brief and include the word 'Message Board' in the Subject
header.
Note: Communications
specific to the numerous technical issues concerning prevention of vertical
transmission (mother to child transmission) of HIV/AIDS would appropriately
be addressed to pmtct@list.unaids.org
| Q. Our
country is redrafting the Ten Steps of the BFHI in accord with
our culture. Is this acceptable to UNICEF and WHO? |
| A. Drafting
policy for support of a national breastfeeding programming is
the right of every country and state. We encourage creative and
culturally appropriate implementation of the Innocenti Operational
targets.
However, the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, per se, were
developed using a prolonged and inclusive process; they were carefully
phrased to be applicable and feasible any maternity setting. Published
in the 1989 WHO/UNICEF Joint Statement on Protecting, Promoting
and Supporting Breastfeeding, they continue to represent a universal
standard by which over 15,000 maternity facilities in 136 countries
have been assessed. The Ten Steps are the minimum package of hospital
and maternity facility practices required to become certified
Baby-Friendly, and are considered a non-negotiable standard of
practice.
Over the years there have been many requests to change the Ten
Steps, however, the suggested changes have tended to perpetuate
practices that work against easy and exclusive breastfeeding.
Additional Steps may be added by national authorities, if they
do not alter, replace or weaken any of the basic Ten Steps. |
| Q. BFHI
Step Four says to initiate breastfeeding in half an hour, but
doesn't recent research show many newborns are not yet ready? |
| A. The
establishment of breastfeeding is a process that cannot be defined
by a single contact of baby and breast. Swedish and Zambian studies,
and clinical experience in many countries, show that newborns
of mothers who receive no medications during labor and delivery
will approach and suckle the breast spontaneously if they are
unwrapped and in continuous full skin-to-skin contact with the
mother from a few minutes after birth.
The average time for such an infant to attach and suckle without
aid is about 55 minutes after birth, and almost all will suckle
within two hours. If aided, many will have a successful first
latch-on even sooner.
Evidence-based new practices do not hurry the newborn to the
breast, but provide peaceful, warm skin-to-skin contact without
pushing ahead of the infant's instinctive progress to the first
suckling. However, more help may be needed by the infant when
the mother has received substantial medications or in other special
conditions. Whether a normal newborn is allowed time to attach
spontaneously, or is helped to take the breast for the first time,
the process of initiating breastfeeding should begin within thirty
minutes of the birth. |
| Q. I
am interested in Baby-friendly certifiication for the hospital
where I work. What are my first steps ? |
| A. Please
contact - Your local UNICEF
office, National
Committees or local Breastfeeding committee or authority for
instructions and training materials. If you still have questions
please write again ! |
| Q.
I have a small kiosk and a commercial representative has approached
me to advertise their artifical feeding product using a large
picture of a happy baby. I want to be supportive of Code of marketing.
Should I display this poster? |
| A. Advertising
directly to mothers is prohibited under the articles of the Code.
For more information read the Code. |
Events
Do you have an International
Infant feeding related event coming up? Please let us know and we will
post relevant events.
La Leche League International
18th International Breastfeeding Conference
"Strength Through Diversity; Creating one Breastfeeding
World"
July 3-6, 2003 in San Francisco, California, USA.
If you are interested in attending, please visit website at http://www.lalecheleague.org/03conf/03conf.html.
Those attending the conference may contribute poster presentations.
Posters will consist of visually interesting charts, graphs, photographs,
or text describing a particular project, research or innovative program
on the protection, support or promotion of breastfeeding.
Interested participants are asked to submit a 250 word abstract
describing their poster/project by February 15, 2003 via email
to rmagalhaes@llli.org, post to Rebecca Magalhaes,1400 N. Meacham Road,
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4808; or or through the Online Abstract Form available
at the website.
___________________________________________________________
New and Noteworthy.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is a worldwide
organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and
support of breastfeeding and human lactation. Their mission is to unite
into one association members of the various medical specialties with
this common purpose. It strives to promote physician education, expand
knowledge in both breastfeeding science and human lactation, facilitate
optimal breastfeeding practices and encourage the exchange of information
among organizations.
The ABM fully supports the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk
Substitutes and thus refuses support or endorsement of companies which
are not Code-compliant.
To widen the Academy's presence in the international community of physicians,
the Chair of its International Committee invites communications from
all physicians interested in supporting its mission.
Contact
José J. Gorrín-Peralta, MD, MPH, FACOG
Professor and Director
Maternal and Child Health Program
UPR Graduate School of Public Health
San Juan, PR 00936-5067
Tel/Fax 787-759-6546
Email: jgorrin@rcm.upr.edu
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