The goal of the Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) is to improve the nutrition of infants and young children through the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global initiative launched by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) in 1991. It was introduced into Australia in 1992 and is now administered by the Australian College of Midwives (ACM).

In 2006, the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative became the Baby Friendly Health Initiative in order to more accurately reflect the expansion of the initiative into the community health settings.

Group 3 Personnel – Step 2 of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding focuses on the education of all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement the breastfeeding policy. You have been identified as group 3 personnel: a staff member who has contact with pregnant women and mothers but does not assist mothers with breastfeeding, you are not required to provide infant feeding advice as part of your role. However you have an important role in providing information that is consistent with the aims of BFHI.

Relevance

This course is for staff who have contact with pregnant women and mothers but do not assist mothers with breastfeeding and do not provide infant feeding advice as part of their role (e.g. admin, volunteer and domestic staff).

Learning outcomes

On completion of this BFHI eLearning program for Group 3 personnel you will be able to:

• recognize the importance of BFHI in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding
• explain the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
• outline the 10 steps to Successful Breastfeeding
• outline the benefits of breastfeeding
• describe how you can support breastfeeding mothers.

Share this with your colleagues, download the Baby Friendly Health Initiative for General Staff A4 promotional flyer/poster

Course last updated: September 2022.