South Central Reporter

HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital Breese issued the following announcement on Sept. 12.

Baby-Friendly USA, announced that HSHS St. Joseph Hospital has received prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly Hospital.

Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (“BFHI”), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

“We are excited to receive this recognition,” said Serra Morton, director of women and infants at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese. “Being named a Baby-Friendly hospital means we use the Ten Steps to Successful breastfeeding to provide mothers with the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.”

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.

2.Train all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.

3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.

6. Give infants no food or drink other than breast-milk, unless medically indicated.

7. Practice rooming in - allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.

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

There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Currently there are 530 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States. The “Baby-Friendly” re-designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed. The award is maintained by continuing to practice the Ten Steps as demonstrated by quality processes.

Original source can be found here.