|
Latest hospital initiative follows international ‘Baby
Friendly” breastfeeding project
Every
so often the public debate about breastfeeding comes to the forefront in
the form of a news story about a breastfeeding mom embroiled in a conflict because
she’s offended someone by feeding her infant at the mall.
I can’t
understand how anyone can be offended by such a natural practice. Breastfeeding
is natural. The mall isn’t.
Providing
infants with human milk gives them the most complete nutrition
possible, providing the optimal mix
of nutrients and antibodies necessary for each baby to thrive. Scientific
studies have shown that breastfed children have fewer and less serious
illnesses than those who never receive breast milk, including reduced risk
of SIDS and less childhood cancer and diabetes.
Breastfeeding
also results in a decreased risk of diarrhea, respiratory and ear
infections, and allergic skin disorders for infants in the industrialized
world.
My wife
breastfed our two sons for many months and not until I began working at a
hospital did I realize how lucky she was that breastfeeding came easy to
her. I’ve since learned that it takes work for many women to
breastfeed. For some it just never happens for a variety of physical and
emotional reasons.
The
clash between nature’s intentions and nature’s fickle ways has
given rise to lactation consultants – professionals who are trained
to develop a plan of care for mom and baby when breastfeeding doesn’t
go smoothly.
The
Women’s Health Center of The Westerly Hospital has four lactation
consultants and five lactation counselors on staff as well as a
breastfeeding support group every Saturday morning to help those who need
advice and encouragement.
Now the
Hospital is joining an international effort to encourage breastfeeding by
becoming a “Baby
Friendly Hospital”
under the auspices of the World Health Organization and the United Nations
Children’s Fund.
I find
it necessary to pause here to explain that the international name given to
this effort – “Baby Friendly” – is far from a
user-friendly name in my opinion. Frankly, it’s a little awkward to
announce with great fanfare that “now, we’re a “Baby
Friendly” hospital.”
It begs
the question: and before?
It
turns out that “Baby Friendly” is the only phrase that
international organizers could come up with that translates their message
into just about every language. So, how does a Hospital become “Baby
Friendly” in the eyes of UNICEF and the WHO?
Well, education
plays a big role so new moms, nurses and physicians clearly understand the advantages
of breastfeeding. One of the biggest changes from a patient’s
standpoint regards the hospital’s agreement to stop accepting free
items from formula companies.
That
doesn’t mean formula won’t be available to new moms who choose
not to breastfeed. Formula will be available at no cost to moms who choose
to formula feed while they are in the hospital. They just won’t be
loaded down with items from a formula company as they leave for home. Instead,
the nurses of the Women’s Health
Center have developed
their own package of gifts from the hospital.
In
general, the process of becoming a “Baby Friendly
Hospital”
involves looking at policies and education so skills can more effectively
be taught to newly breastfeeding mothers and obstacles to
breastfeeding, such as removing the infant from the mother's room at night
or using pacifiers, can be avoided if possible.
Other
steps include helping moms to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour
of birth, and showing moms how to breastfeed and maintain lactation even if
they need to be separated from their infants for a time. New moms in a “Baby
Friendly” hospital also are encouraged to breastfeed on demand, and
have their babies “room in” with them 24 hours a day.
The nurses of the Hospital’s Women’s Health Center
will be happy to answer questions about the “Baby Friendly
Hospital” initiative.
Once you meet them, you’ll know they’re baby friendly. They can
be reached at 401-348-3365.
David Tranchida is the Manager
of Public Relations and Marketing at The Westerly Hospital.
|
|
|
© Copyright 2000 The
Westerly Hospital, All Rights Reserved
|
|
