Vredenburg Hospital celebrated its baby-friendly status by hosting a celebration ceremony on Thursday, 17 November 2011, in recognition of receiving the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), launched by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1992, is an accreditation process that requires a hospital to reach specific standards related to the Ten Steps for Successful Breastfeeding. It is a global effort to encourage and recognise hospitals and birthing centres that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding women and their babies.
The Ten Steps for Successful Breastfeeding are:
Recent studies show that mothers benefit greatly from having full knowledge of the significant benefits of breastfeeding for their newborn babies. More must be done to increase that knowledge and the best place to start is with hospitals and health care facilities.
Breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby; it harvests remarkable health benefits, provides critical nutrients, protects from deadly diseases such as pneumonia, promotes bonding between mother and child and fosters growth and development. Exclusively breastfed babies are also less likely to develop chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity later in life. Mothers benefit from breastfeeding too, as it helps the body recover from pregnancy and labour and lowers a mother's risk for developing diabetes, ovarian cancer and some forms of breast cancer.
What happens in the hospital before and after birth plays a crucial role in establishing breastfeeding and in encouraging mothers to continue breastfeeding after leaving the facility. This emphasises the importance of breastfeeding and the assistance, encouragement and support provided by facilities in terms of breastfeeding.
Angelique Jordaan
Principal Communications Officer
Western Cape Government Department of Health
Tel: 021 483 3563
Cell: 084 293 6277
Fax: 021 483 6169