The Baby Friendly Initiative
The Baby Friendly Initiative is a worldwide programme of the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It was established in 1992 to encourage maternity hospitals to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and to practise in accordance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative was launched in the UK in 1994 and, in 1998, its principles were extended to cover the work of community health-care services in the Seven Point Plan for the Promotion, Protection and Support of Breastfeeding in Community Health Care Settings.
The Baby Friendly Initiative works with the health-care system to ensure a high standard of care for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers and babies. We provide support for health-care facilities that are seeking to implement best practice, and we offer an assessment and accreditation process that recognises those that have achieved the required standard. (Source: Unicef)
Click here to read the NHS Baby Friendly Breastfeeding Leaflet (pdf)
