Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona reminds the public about the importance of breastfeeding within the first hour of life and called on health facilities providing healthcare for pregnant women, new mothers and newborns to follow the Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding.During the ‘Breastfeeding Awareness Week’ held at the St. Luke’s Medical Center, Health Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan commended the participation of the SLMC as among the first private health facilities to respond to the DOH’s call to implement the Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding.
Globally, the Philippines is one of 33 countries that have completed the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative. There are some 40 countries undergoing training towards completing the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative.
Presently, about 28% of all maternity facilities in the world have implemented the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. This has contributed to an encouraging increase in breastfeeding rates despite aggressive commercial promotion of infant formula and baby bottles.
The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding are as follows: 1) Have a written breastfeeding policy that is communicated routinely to all healthcare staff; 2) Train all health-care staff in the skills necessary to implement the policy; 3) Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding; 4) Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within the first 30 minutes of life; 5) Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if separated from their infants; 6) Give newborn infants no food or drink other than human milk unless medically-indicated; 7) Practice rooming- in. Allow mothers and infants to stay together 24 hours a day; 8) Encourage breastfeeding on demand; 9) Give no artificial teats or pacifiers; and 10) Foster establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers on discharge from hospital or clinic.
Source: www.doh.gov.ph
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