 Good day and welcome to issues and answers a production of the government information service I am your host for today Jacques Henson Compton And today I'm with chief nutritionist in the Ministry of Health wellness and elderly affairs And we're going to be talking about a new initiative at the Ministry of Health called the baby friendly hospital initiative And a little after that we'll be talking I guess a little bit about something. I clearly know a lot about which is breastfeeding So Miss Hunt, what exactly is the the baby friendly hospital initiative? Okay, so the baby friendly hospital initiative is a joint initiative by World Health Organization and UNICEF and it began in 1991 and the whole goal of this initiative is to promote breastfeeding So this initiative came about where they're trying to support facilities So facilities like hospitals where babies are born like in central Russia our babies are born in hospitals now You find in other countries. They may have facilities solely for for So these facilities They become what you call baby friendly Because the whole goal is to promote a breastfeeding. So that is why this initiative came together in 1991 And you find many countries Have adopted it even some a few Caribbean countries. So we're not there yet But this is what we are aspiring to become. Is it something you you're about to initiate or is it you're not there yet? We're not there yet. We tried it some a few years ago. It entails a lot, but we are we are in the process of Starting the we are starting the process So this year with Pao who is going to be assisting us We are will be starting the process of training because everybody at the hospital needs to be needs to be need to be trained So that they understand what baby friendly hospital initiative means So for some persons, it's a new terminology. So we need to sensitize Person so they know what it is about. So when you say is it clearly focused on breastfeeding or there are other aspects to the Initiative, yes, so the whole goal is to support breastfeeding, but there are other factors that that is important and for example Not encouraging Babies to be bottle-fed right so and so I will go through the ten steps for you to be for you to be Baby friendly a hospital that is baby friendly There are ten steps that I will go through in a while that the hospital supposed to be at head to and and This entails it's a it's a ten step process that they need to go through for them to force to be designated So it's not an easy process and that's why it's important that persons get trained I'll give you a little example if we have the status. We are designated as baby friendly We cannot even accept Tokens from companies that are selling Formula So it is that strict. So you you can't when you say tokens What do you mean like a little pen that might be that might see sitting Companies name that is selling. I don't want to mention any names that are selling baby formula You cannot have doctors cannot have that we're parents because it's a way of Advertising so okay that you bring me to my next question. So the the reliance on breastfeeding. Is that what? Exclusive the term exclusive breastfeeding school. So the whole goal is to encourage Exclusive breastfeeding now exclusive breastfeeding means that you are giving your baby only breast milk For the first six months of life. Nothing else. No water. Nothing now. We know there are certain circumstances where it You know medical issues where a baby may need something else But apart from that Nothing else baby needs except breast milk for the first six months and they are supposed to be given other foods Beyond six months But you continue to breastfeed you continue to breastfeed after the six months Introducing, you know other foods to the baby so you can breastfeed your child up to two years or beyond two years What what kind of other foods are we talking about in addition to the best fruits vegetables? But you give them in very small amounts or like a little teaspoon. So when we say you are you are Adding foods you are introducing foods to the baby you add very you know a little cereal a little fruit a little You know pure it of course because they are having breast milk So it's a little transition into solid foods, but it's a process. Oh, why? Why specifically breast milk is well exclusively I should say is there are there some Benefits during that part of a child's life. Oh, yes There are so many benefits to to breastfeeding that we we will need another session to have benefits, which we will but for example babies who are exclusively breastfed tend to have less infections tend to be less sick they are healthier Intellectually, there are so many benefits to a baby even the mother even cancer less rates of cancers and There's a benefit to the country. So babies who are not breastfed tend to You have a higher Mortality rate like death or babies before five years and so or malnutrition So we want to avoid these things And so this is why this initiative has come about is to really Support mothers and to help build them to have the skills to to breastfeed Exclusively and beyond and I also understand that it is a means to help the mother Feel closer to the child. Oh, yes, the bond the bond that a baby has with their parent a lot of research has come about saying that you know even to do with Delinquent behavior that's and you can understand that a child who does not feel that born that love With their mother when they're very young that they grew up and then they feel like they're not loved and so they may go You know, they may actually have a life of crime where they go to these persons who might Pretend to show them love. Let's say for some people in drugs And this man is you know showing you love the love that you didn't get from your parent your mother While you will you know a baby so that bond there's a lot of research that is coming about how it can be beneficial to the child psychology and Yeah, okay, so there's definitely Psychological component definitely So let me know what by what means our hospitals in St. Lucia Going to be motivated to utilize this initiative Well, we are hoping to get at least two of our hospitals to become baby friendly and the process is we have to First get an assessment done to see what is that we need to do so for one of the hospitals We have that assessment is ongoing where we've we've done the assessment We've not done students. Sorry. We did the there's a form you're looking at sort of some of the aspects that you need to fill out except just For example, it's it's kind of a long process. I can't go through all of it But after that we will start the training and Sensitizing the country as to what is Baby friendly hospital initiative because I'm sure for many persons who are listening right now It might be the first time that they hear it So we want people to understand what it means. It's basically that we want our hospital to to represent that the first Food that we want to give our child our children our babies is breast milk Now in St. Lucia in the Caribbean you find that initiation to breast Feed is actually high and what I mean by that is when the baby is born You may find a lot of mothers actually giving the babies breast milk Sometimes after two weeks they stop so the initiation is high, but it's the continuation of that breast Feeding is where the problem lies and there may be a number of reasons why they may not continue to breastfeed It could be that person's have to go back to work or whatever other personal reasons that they may have But we want that not only the initiation, but we want the continued Exclusive especially the exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. We want the children to get that Okay, we're actually due for our first break. I'm learning a lot from you right now Something I didn't know anything about so please stay with us and You're watching issues and answers. We'll be back right after this break Don't spare Excessive agrochemical use additives and genetically modified foods are harmful to health and the environment Join the good food revolution grow by and consume organic a message from rise St. Lucia and the Ministry of Sustainable Development With funding from the GEF small grants program UNDP Welcome back to issues and answers We're here with chief nutritionist in the Ministry of Health wellness and elderly affairs miss Lisa Hunt And we're talking about the baby friendly hospital initiative So while we're off-camera you were talking about the different means Which hospitals can actually fail in the initiative aren't you talk a little bit about that? Yes, so After we have done everything that we need to do to become baby friendly, you know a baby friendly hospital You would have some external assessors would come in Not from St. Lucia from other countries would come in to see whether we can be designated as baby friendly And so you may have everything in place where you've trained everybody you have You know spoken to the mothers and everything that needs to get done and which I'll go through the process in a while But if they see a bottle or teeth a baby's teeth in sight Then we would feel So that's how strict they are so everything should be locked in a cupboard where the parents because they're saying if they can't see That means the parent can see and you are saying it's okay to boil feed your child Okay, well I want to talk about the processes that you just spoke of earlier. Okay, so to become A baby friendly hospital we we have to follow ten steps what you call the ten steps to successful breastfeeding So I'm gonna go for the ten steps The first step is that hospital must support mothers to breastfeed and they should not prioritize Infant formula bottles or teeth so we have to make breastfeeding standard practice. So that's the first step The second step and some of those things we are already doing so some of them we may not be but some of them We are already doing so number two. We asked when we have to ensure that the staff have sufficient knowledge Competence and skills to support breastfeeding So mothers are supposed to be trained mothers are supposed to know how to Breastfeed they're supposed to feel supported by the nurses and to understand the importance of breastfeeding step number three Discuss the importance and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families step number four Facilitates immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact and support mothers to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible After both now, this is this is an issue that we have where a lot of parents are having the babies By c-section and sometimes they are not able to have that skin-to-skin bond with the Baby and so that may interrupt sometimes that the mother might be out and some they have to give the child's Feedex sexual number step number five Support mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties Number six. Do not provide breastfeeding newborns any other fluids or other Breasts sorry do not provide breastfed newborns any foods or fluids other than breast milk Unless medically indicated and that's the exclusive breastfeeding that we were talking about number seven Enable mothers and their infants to remain together and to practice Ruming in for 24 hours a day. So the baby has to be next to the mother for 24 hours after giving birth Support mothers to recognize and respond to their infant cues to feed so the mother supposed to understand that You know, there are certain cues certain things that you look for when a child is hungry So that's what this is about number nine counsel mothers on the use and risk of feeding bottles tits and pacifiers So there are instances where a child has to be fed For medical reasons. So the mother still has to understand You know how to care for these things and how to clean them, etc. And the risk of of using pacifiers, etc Coordinate number ten last one coordinate discharge so that the parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care Now most persons when they leave the hospital at the hospital they feel confident because the nurses are there But when they go to their homes, they may not have support to continue breastfeeding so On on discharge we need to provide the care and the support And and even the family members to encourage them to see how they can support this mother Especially if she has to go to work How can she continue breastfeeding when she has to go to work? You know, she has to pump her breast freeze it etc and these kind of things so So that's a ten steps once we can practice these ten steps We can become you know, this is what we have to follow to be Designated as baby friendly now as you mentioned that a lot of mothers prematurely stop breastfeeding other than possible work obligations What other reasons would there be for women who took prematurely halt their breastfeeding? There are many reasons You find that sometimes they feel that the babies are not full especially the grandmothers the grandmothers are very I blame them for that. They would say to the You know the daughters that the baby is hungry now sometimes the baby may be breastfeeding and still crying And you know sometimes when you hear baby cry you you expect that okay, the baby is hungry So sometimes you breastfeed natural child is still crying the child might be crying for another reason They might be uncomfortable. They might be an antibiotic in the child There might be some other reasons that the child might be crying and not because the child is hungry So they see it as okay. This child is crying that this child is hungry And I have fed that child and the child keeps on crying. So they will say okay. It's not it's not That the child is not full But as the stomach of a baby is very very small It's very tiny and it does not take much to fool that baby up So Be one person to discourage, you know, those who are Encouraging the the family members to bottle feed because they want to see this Procured stomach to make them feel that the baby is full But what you are doing is stretching this child stomach unnecessarily. There are other reasons like Some mothers especially the younger ones feel like oh their breast is going to fall Well gravity will take your breast other things, but if you were in a supportive bra Breastfeeding doesn't cause your breast to fall because some persons don't have well, I don't want to go there, but There are supportive bras that will prevent that from happening So apart from the myths and You know going to work some parents, you know, and and this is where you know, the mothers need support Breastfeeding is not an easy process. It can be very difficult and You know after having a baby You know, you may be tired And so, you know, sometimes even Feeling the child might might seem a lot, especially if you've had a C-section and you're in pain So reasons like that mothers may say, okay, I I really cannot You know breastfeed that child, but there are other things you can do you can pump your breast milk And have someone else to feed that child for you while you are taking a nice needed rest Can actually you bring me to an interesting question can if let's say I'm a Can can other babies have breast milk that is not from Not from their biological. That's a very good question. Yes, they can and they have something in other countries called a breast bank so A child can be breastfed from any mother once that You know, it is safe in terms of in other no health condition. Of course, they would test the test sector It can be done if you have a sister that has had a baby That that can happen. However in our society our People, I'm not sure if they will go for that, but it is safe. It can be done Yes, we're actually due for our second and final break Stay with us and then when we come back We'll talk a little bit a bit more about the program specifically because there are the components of the program that I want to talk about You're watching issues and answers. Please stay tuned. We'll be back in a moment Tutmune's a counseling counseling counseling He didn't want to bother each other's they've been my friend PS one by showing me comes My leg last year Just yesterday you asked me advice about your husband and we spent over an hour on the cell Just think about the glass When you have a difficult to use someone you ask your friends for advice to help you to deal with your problems But wouldn't you prefer getting advice from a professional counselor? I hope we're not one of those who think counseling is for crazy people When your situation came You had me wish me professional counseling me money la jean Is she a condition of doctors visit? Don't you know the ministry of the public service has an employee assistance program They call it EAP which is offering six free counseling sessions for government employees Iglesia, why don't you take advantage of it? Really It's free Let me off on let me call the EAP unit ASAP because I want professional. Did you say free? Free counseling boy glass hour Who is the consul in sir? Call the EAP unit at 468 2269 EAP works let it work for you Welcome back to issues and answers. I'm your host jack Kingston Compton We're speaking with chief nutritionist in the ministry of health wellness and elderly affairs And we're talking about a new initiative at the ministry of health and in local hospitals called the baby friendly hospital initiative Uh, so yes Could you tell us about some of the the other countries other than the st. Usher who have implemented the Initiative well, we have not implemented it yet. Well, that you're about to that you are about to implement Yes, so as we speak, I know of antiga who is in the process of implementation um Guyana Guyana has many hospitals in in some of the hospitals in Guyana has has um has been designated as baby friendly hospitals Barbados and um, I know Trunidad had it once now some countries have had it and they've lost it So becoming designated doesn't mean like an end to it all other. Okay. We are very friendly and then we're okay They will be we will be monitored, you know periodically to see if we are keeping up with what we're supposed to do And so you can lost your status and you'll be monitored by the same The assessors externally assessors and you know, I mentioned before that just to give a little understanding as how strict this is if we are A baby friendly hospital machine. We cannot we cannot accept donations from any company that is selling Formula especially when the the name is on there the the brand because it's like we are advertising the brand and you know There's something called the international the international code which I will have to come on to talk about it because it's Is very comprehensive. So we have signed on to this code and we have to abide by it So there are certain things that you know advertising On on television, you know formula is not acceptable And so if we are supposed to be abiding by this code, this knows they should not happen So so what sort of means will you be using to Say educate the mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding? Yes, so Counseling one-on-one counseling giving them talks And even even after they've had the baby, you know, nurses will be coming around and Ensuring that they understand how to breastfeed even for example, even having the baby to latch on properly You may have all the knowledge that you have talking from experience. You may have the knowledge And when you've now given both you need the support from A nurse to help you to hold the baby properly to ensure that the baby is latched on properly to your breast Because if they're not latched on properly, they may not get the milk There's a there's a technique in ensuring that the baby's mouth is latched onto the breast for them to be Breastfed if it's if they're not then the mother may actually feel pain while breastfeeding and that support is given in the hospital Yes, right now you're getting this They're getting this support right now. That's why I said the 10 steps There are some things that we are doing already, but we have to continue to do more And to ensure that we are doing following the the all the 10 steps so generally You mentioned that they they get support while they're in the hospital. What generally how long are Mothers in the hospital post postigafry um, a baby a mother who was who on her first her first baby Can stay I think a couple of days. I mean I may I may be wrong But if you have health conditions like you've had a C-section You may have to stay a week Or more depending on how serious you you know it is Do you have any idea in in the the countries the other countries that have implemented? Has that increased the rates of of mother's breastfeeding? To the term that they're supposed to breastfeed does it increase the rate of breastfeeding? Okay, so I'm not sure about the countries but what I can tell you in research that has been done that being designated as a baby friendly hospital That the exclusivity rates have increased that is a definite so You know just think about it if we now are baby friendly hospital first thing you're gonna do is when babies are born is is to me ensure that you breastfeed your baby and formula will not be an option Which is sometimes people have the option some mothers come to the hospital and they already know that they're not going to breastfeed And so they figure okay. I'm I'm not going to breastfeed. I'm going to give my child formula So this is not acceptable You want to ensure that we Encourage the the mother to breastfeed the baby Now are there any other sort of benefits? Not to the mother, but are there any benefits to let's say the Staff or the medical industry as a result of this initiative? Yes, there are there are many benefits. I mean if you think of us as a country Apart from the individual in terms of it being It being cheaper not to you know buy formula etc But it's it's it's environmentally friendly as well. You're not having to to You know buy all those teens of milk and And these things so it's it's there are lots of benefits to mother baby country environment It's a win-win for all Okay, we're approaching The end of the program. Is there anything else that you want to add before we go off air? Yeah, I'm really hoping that we would be successful in implementing this baby friendly hospital As we know it's going to be so beneficial to the babies Especially you know that babies who are not breastfed. They are at risk of death at risk of malnutrition And we would like to ensure that we That we are successful in implementing this Okay, I want to thank you very much for coming on our program. You've been here before you're a frequent guest And obviously you're going to come back again. My pleasure quite possibly to talk about the in-depth the benefits of breastfeeding As well as a lot of other initiatives that the ministry of health has going on. Yes So thank you very much, and I hope to see you again very soon You're watching issues and answers a production of the government information service I want to thank the audience for staying tuned to this program. I hope you've learned a lot Please stay tuned to a lot of our programs on the national television network And follow the government of st. Lucia on our platforms such as facebook youtube instagram As well as twitter. So thank you very much again for watching. Please stay tuned to our the programming