Bay’s community hospital gains WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly status again
Midwives, from left, Pamela Gofriller, Geri Whitaker, Celia Butler and Paula Bethwaite with their accreditation. Photo: Ina Holst.
Charge nurse manager Alexia Russell is pleased that the Golden Bay Community Hospital has again achieved Baby Friendly Hospital Accreditation.
By renewing the accreditation, the hospital meets World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF standards. Both organisations launched the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in 1991 in a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
“It’s been a huge amount of work and it is a great achievement,” Alexia said. “Celia Butler has worked ceaselessly and led us all on this journey of learning: the nurses, cooks, cleaners and gardeners, who can now all take the ‘baby friendly’ message out there to the world.”
Celia Butler explained that the Ministry of Health required all maternity units to be accredited as baby-friendly. “This means that we follow the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding and all the staff have been put through an education programme. The WHO has come up with these 10 stages and worked out that if these are followed then the rate of mothers breastfeeding is increased worldwide and helps to make breastfeeding a normal way to feed babies.” BFHI now has more than 20,000 designated facilities in 152 countries worldwide.
An auditor came to the hospital before the accreditation was renewed, and part of the assessment was to interview new mothers, which put the staff to the test, Celia added.
The criteria for a hospital’s Baby-Friendly accreditation include the requirement for a written breastfeeding policy. All healthcare staff are expected to train in skills necessary to implement this policy and to be able to provide information to all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
Maternity staff are trained to help new mothers initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth, to encourage breastfeeding on demand and not to provide newborn infants with any other food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
Celia added that the programme made mums and staff more confident and educated staff to follow “what nature intended”.
Breastfeeding benefits mums and babies alike, agreed local midwife Pamela Gofriller. Apart from the benefits for the children, who have a greater immunity against diseases, avoid the risks from formula feeding of increased susceptibility to adult health problems. Breastfeeding mums also benefit from a reduced risk of breast cancer or osteoporosis later in life.
“It [the initiative] reassures mums that they are the best people to look after their baby, and it empowers parents,” added midwife Paula Bethwaite.
Ina Holst
