Initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef in the early 90s, the “Baby Friendly” label is awarded to maternity hospitals or mother-child centers which have a common support approach. of mother and baby centered on benevolence, well-treatment and parent-caregiver partnership. After birth, staff do not take the place of parents. “We just provide them with support to enable them to acquire little by little their autonomy” explained in 2000 Christine Chalandard, pediatric nurse at the maternity unit of the hospital center of Lons-le-Saunier, the first to be labeled in France.
“We have been led to come out of a paternalistic attitude to recognize the expertise and skills of parents. The caregivers dialogue with them to learn about the baby’s health and they are involved in providing care for the baby. preparation for returning home “adds Dr Sylvaine Rousseau, pediatrician, pilot of the project within the Roubaix Hospital Center. Parents, therefore, gain more self-confidence and do not find themselves in a panic when they return home.
11 maternities in 2010, 46 today
In France, 2 new maternities have just obtained this label:
- The maternity ward of the Romorantin – Lanthenay Hospital Center (41) which registers around 400 births per year
- The maternity and neonatology department of the Private St Joseph Hospital, Marseille (13) which registers 4,800 births per year
France therefore now has 46 maternity hospitals labeled “Baby Friendly”, which represents 68,000 births per year, or about 9% of total births.
What is a “baby-friendly” hospital?
In these hospitals, “skin to skin” is done for at least an hour after birth, if the baby does not need immediate care. This reassuring “skin to skin” for the baby develops psychoaffective bonds between the child and his parents, allows good oxygenation of the newborn, regulates his blood sugar and maintains his body temperature. These maternities also have in common the encouragement of breastfeeding. The mothers are accompanied by specially trained staff to avoid becoming discouraged if the first feedings are not easy. We explain to them how to position their baby correctly, why to feed him on demand, etc. And when they leave the maternity ward, they are given the contact details of breastfeeding support associations or lactation counselors to contact if necessary.
However, you can give birth in a Baby-Friendly hospital and not breast-feed your baby. You are free. In this case, we will give you useful advice on how to learn to bottle-feed your baby, respecting his rhythms and his needs. In a Baby-Friendly hospital, every way we try to establish closeness between you and your child.
Where can I find a baby-friendly hospital?
The list of labeled maternities is listed on the association’s websiteBaby Friendly Hospital Initiative (Ihab France).
Read also :
- Breastfeeding: a first breastfeed within an hour of birth
- Why breastfeed the baby for 180 days?
- Woman forgotten by doctors gives birth alone in hospital
- Breastfeeding after a cesarean: what you need to know
