NHS Highland achieves stage 1 Baby Friendly status

NHS Highland’s commitment to the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative has taken another step with the entire organisation recently achieving Stage 1 in the community health section of the initiative.

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a world wide programme which was established in 1992 to encourage maternity hospitals to promote and maintain successful breastfeeding. In 1998 this was extended to cover work in the community setting with the introduction of the seven point plan for the Promotion, Protection and Support for Breastfeeding in Community Health Care Settings.

Karen Mackay, NHS Highland Infant Feeding Advisor, explains what Stage 1 means. She said: “To achieve stage 1 you have to have developed methods to ensure that the breastfeeding policy can be implemented and maintained. This will include an education programme for staff, an antenatal education programme and an audit tool to ensure we are compliant with the standards.”

Breastfeeding gives your baby the best start in life and has many health benefits for both mother and child. Women who breastfeed are helping protect themselves against ovarian cancer and breast cancer, and they also return to their pre-pregnancy figure faster.

For the child, by breastfeeding you are helping protect your baby against chest infections, eczema, obesity and asthma.

Karen also explained that as part of the Baby Friendly Initiative NHS Highland is committed to raising the profile of breastfeeding in the community. Breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to look out for the welcome sticker that is displayed in public places and premises that support and encourage breastfeeding in public.

Karen added: “Raising awareness and changing the public attitude towards breastfeeding will help to increase breastfeeding rates throughout the Highlands.

“Given our geography in Highland, for the whole area to have reached stage 1 is a great achievement and I want to thank everyone for their hard work and commitment in ensuring that this happened. Stage 1 is laying the foundation to allow a smooth transition to staff and patient awareness.

“We will now be working towards stage 2 which will allow us to focus on our staff education.”