Baby Friendly standards

Stage 1 of the Baby Friendly journey involves the following:

1. Have written policies and guidelines to support the standards.
2. Plan an education programme that will allow staff to implement the standards according to their role.
3. Have processes for implementing, auditing and evaluating the standards.
4. Ensure that there is no promotion of breastmilk substitutes, bottles, teats or dummies in any part of the facility or by any of the staff.

Stage 2 focuses on delivering the education programme planned in Stage 1 – empowering staff with the skills and knowledge to support infant feeding and parent-infant relationship building.

Stage 3 focuses on specific ways to transform care for families – the standards differ between service types to respond to families’ changing needs.

Maternity standards enable staff to:

1. Support those who are pregnant to recognise the importance of breastfeeding and early relationships for the health and wellbeing of their baby.
2. Support all mothers and babies to initiate a close relationship and feeding soon after birth.
3. Enable mothers to get breastfeeding off to a good start.
4. Support mothers to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of food or fluids other than breastmilk.
5. Support parents to have a close and loving relationship with their baby.

Stage 3 focuses on specific ways to transform care for families – the standards differ between service types to respond to families’ changing needs.

Neonatal standards enable staff to:

1. Support parents to have a close and loving relationship with their baby.
2. Enable babies to receive breastmilk and to breastfeed when possible.
3. Value parents as partners in care

The impact of the neonatal standards

• Royal Devon & Exeter’s neonatal unit was the first to achieve Baby Friendly accreditation: find out how they’ve transformed their care for families.
• Bradford’s neonatal unit was the first level 3 neonatal unit (caring for babies with the most complex health needs) to achieve accreditation: read about their journey and the value of putting parents at the heart of care.

Stage 3 focuses on specific ways to transform care for families – the standards differ between service types to respond to families’ changing needs.

Community services standards enable staff to:

1. Support those who are pregnant to understand the evidence for breastfeeding and early relationships and their influence on the health and wellbeing of them and their baby.
2. Protect and support breastfeeding in all aspects of the service and enable mothers to continue breastfeeding for as long as they wish.
3. Support parents to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of food or fluids other than breastmilk.
4. Support parents to have a close and loving relationship with their baby.

Stage 3 focuses on specific ways to transform care for families – the standards differ between service types to respond to families’ changing needs.

Hospital-based children’s services standards enable staff to:

1.  Enable babies to continue to breastfeed and/or receive breastmilk when possible.
2. Implement evidence-based practices related to giving foods or fluids other than breastmilk.
3. Support close and loving relationships and value parents as partners in care.

These standards support services to embed high quality care for the longer term, focusing on four themes:

• Leadership: Develop a leadership team that promotes the Baby Friendly standards
• Culture: Foster an organisational culture that protects the Baby Friendly standards
• Monitoring: Construct robust monitoring processes to support the Baby Friendly standards
• Progression: Continue to develop the service in order to sustain the Baby Friendly standards.

The impact of Achieving Sustainability

• East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust was the first maternity service to receive the Gold Award – find out about their journey and the difference it’s making to families (pdf download).

Standard 1 involves the university programme making a written commitment to adhere to the Baby Friendly standards, confirmed by a Head of Department or equivalent.

Standard 2 is the core of the university standards – ensuring that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to implement the Baby Friendly learning outcomes in the relevant healthcare setting. This learning is based on the following themes:

• Understand breastfeeding
• Support infant feeding
• Support close and loving relationships
• Manage the challenges
• Promote positive communication.

Standard 3 requires that teaching is provided without involvement, sponsorship or promotional materials from companies covered by the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent WHA resolutions (the Code) so as to ensure that students access only scientific and factual information about infant feeding, free from commercial interests. Find out more in Working Within the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes: A Guide for Health Workers .

The Baby Friendly university standards should be read in conjunction with the standards for maternity, neonatal, community and hospital-based children’s services.