Baby Friendly Hospital Initiatives

The original 1992 BFHI guidelines were prepared by the staff of the United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), with assistance from Wellstart International in developing The Global Criteria.

TEN STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL BREASTFEEDING
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:
1. Have a written breastfeeding 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
breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they
should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk unless
medically indicated.
7. Practise rooming in - allow mothers and infants to remain together - 24 hours
a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to
breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers
to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

The baby friendly hospitals of India are also expected to adopt and practice guidelines on other interventions critical for child survival including antenatal care, clean delivery practices, essential new born care, immunization and ORT.

The BFHI has proved to be highly successful in encouraging proper infant feeding practices, starting at birth.