engleski

Baby Friendly Initiative in pediatric primary health care offices in Croatia

Background: In 1991 the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF launched Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. Since 2007, 21 of the total of 31 maternity wards in Croatia have been designated as Baby Friendly. To ensure an environment where breastfeeding is the norm, efforts must extend beyond maternity hospitals into the community. Objective: to describe a new program in Croatia started in 2008 aimed to expand breastfeeding support through primary health care. Methods: The program is focused on primary care pediatricians and family physicians and is accomplished through 10 steps that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve the Baby Friendly award. Each primary health care team was trained through WHO/UNICEF 20-hour course for maternity staff that was slightly adapted to provide primary care professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills. The assessment procedure included the following: 1. Application for assessment procedure. 2. Submission of a self-appraisal tool for breastfeeding practices. 3. Submission of written breastfeeding policy and written or audiovisual materials that are used to promote breastfeeding. 4. External assessment carried out by the national assessment team members. The assessment included interviews with primary care staff and mothers according to the questionnaires developed by UNICEF expert team in Croatia. Results: In 2011 seven pediatric primary care offices and one family medicine physicians office were awarded Baby Friendly by UNICEF Croatia and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Conclusions: By adopting Baby-Friendly practices, pediatricians and other primary health care professionals can provide high quality support to breastfeeding mothers, thereby contributing to the health and wellbeing of babies and their mothers.

breastfeeding, Baby Friendly initiative, primary health care, Croatia

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