'What will it take to increase breastfeeding?' urges investment in Baby Friendly
‘What will it take to increase breastfeeding?’ calls for evidence-based policies, adherence to the Code, and investment in Baby Friendly
A new report published in Maternal and Child Nutrition highlights the urgent need for greater enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code) and increased interventions which promote, protect and support breastfeeding in order to ensure optimal short- and long-term health outcomes for babies, their mothers and families around the world.
The report also includes the Baby Friendly Initiative as an evidence-based intervention instrumental in supporting breastfeeding on a large scale. An editorial of the paper shared:
At the healthcare systems level, maternity practices aligned with the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), [including] timely breastfeeding initiation, avoiding in-hospital breastmilk substitute supplementation, and breastfeeding counselling support.
Among other things, the framework calls for strengthening the implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and the urgent need for interventions aimed at building breastfeeding self-confidence in mothers, particularly among primiparous women.
Read more on this report in Maternal and Child Nutrition here.
