Question

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched in 1991 by UNICEF and the World Health Organization to ensure that all health care organizations providing maternity services become centers of breast feeding support. A maternity facility can be designated “baby friendly” when it has implemented the specified ten steps to successful breast feeding.

After reviewing the information in the article,

Cardaci, R. (2017). Beyond Maternity Nursing: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. American Journal Of Nursing, 117(8), 36-45. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000521947.45448.d9

Respond to the following:

Describe the potential social, economic, and cultural implications associated with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.

Describe how the registered nurse can overcome the obstacles to make the Baby-Friendly Initiative a success.

Answer 1

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched in 1991 by UNICEF and the World Health Organization to support breastfeeding and also to ensure that all healthcare organizations providing maternity services become centers of breastfeeding support. Baby-Friendly practices are based on the premise that everyone have positive attitudes toward breastfeeding, that can largely influenced by breastfeeding education during the early prenatal period, positive birth and initial breastfeeding experiences, and continued provider support. Nothing is more nutritious for the newborn except mother milk, up to 6 months infants should be fed by mothers milk. This (BFHI) needs proper training of the staffs and good expenses to educate every healthcare staff as well as new mothers. All the healthcare including dietician and ohysicians should be educated about the breastfeeding so that they can easily handle the situation regarding the maternity facilities.

Nurses play a major role in promoting the baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI), yet the adoption of this initiative by nurses remains a challenge in many countries, despite evidence of its positive impacts on breastfeeding outcomes, where as breastfeeding during the first six months of life is vital to the short and long-term health of the baby. A nurse can educate the new mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and also to take care of themselves, they can also guide them about what to eat, etc.