Encouraging Breastfeeding: a Review of Breastfeeding Benefits and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

ENCOURAGING BREASTFEEDING: A REVIEW OF BREASTFEEDING BENEFITS AND THE BABY FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE

Adlina Suleiman, MD, MPH
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (New York)
Baby Friendly Hospital National Assessor

Zainab Kassim, MRCPI(Paeds)
Paediatric Consultant and Lecturer, International Islamic University

Siti Norjinah Moin
President, Malaysian Breastfeeding Association
Baby Friendly Hospital International Assessor

SUMMARY

Doctors, being at the forefront of maternal and child care do not enquire about

the child’s feeding during immunization. Even if the doctors ask about nutrition,

no enquiry is made as to why mothers do not breastfeed exclusively for the first 6

months. Many general practitioners are unaware of the benefits of exclusive

breastfeeding much less lactation management. Lactation management is not a

subject taught in medical school. Even with WHO and UNICEF support in promoting

breastfeeding in Malaysia, there are still many doctors and hospital administrators who

belittle this subject. The Ministry of Health Malaysia has been exemplary whereby all

public hospitals have attained the Baby Friendly Status. In the private sector, only two

hospitals out of the more then 200 in Malaysia have attained the status. Only USM

Kubang Kerian have attained the Baby Friendly status in the Ministry of Education

owned hospitals. The Kinrara Armed Forces Hospital and Lumut Armed Forces

Hospital owned by the Ministry of Defence have also attained the status.

This article was written to review the countless number of studies carried out on

the benefits of breastfeeding. It wishes to bring forth in a concise manner some

of the more relevant and latest benefits of breastfeeding. It would also address the issue

of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. It is hoped that with this article more studies

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