Mother friendly bih initiative was launched in

Baby friendly hospitals initiatives It was launched in USA by combined effos of WHO & UNICEF Since 1993 WHO's effos to improve infant and young child nutrition have focused on promoting breast feeding. It has been calculated that breast feeding could prevent deaths of at least one million children a year. A new "baby-friendly hospital initiative" (BFHI), created and promoted by WHO and UNICEF, has proved highly successful in encouraging proper infant feeding practices, staing at bih. BFHI is suppoed by the major professional medical and nursing bodies in India. The global BFHI has listed ten steps which the hospital must fulfil. This includes: (1) Have a written breast-feeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff; (2) Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy; (3) Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breast- feeding; (4) Help mothers initiate breast-feeding within one half-hour of bih; (5) Show mother, how to breast-feed and maintain lactation, even if they should be separated from their infants; (6) Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, not even sips of water, unless medically indicated; (7) Practice rooming-in that is, allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day; (8) Encourage breast-feeding on demand; (9) Give no aificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breast-feeding infants; and (10) Foster the establishment of breast-feeding suppo groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic. The "Baby friendly" hospitals in India are also expected to adopt and practice guidelines on other interventions critical for child survival including antenatal care, clean delivery practices, essential newborn care, immunization and O Ref: Park 25th edition Pgno : 568