More than 100 healthcare professionals attend the Baby-Friendly Initiative Expo in an effort to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding

On Tuesday, September 23, Halton Region played host to more than 100 health care professionals from across Ontario and eastern Canada at the Baby-Friendly Initiative Expo, sponsored by the Ontario Breastfeeding Committee (OBC). Dedicated to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding, the OBC is the provincial arm of the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada – the National Authority for the World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.

Attendees at the conference came together to discuss and receive updates on the progress of the Baby-Friendly Initiative – a global campaign of the WHO and UNICEF that was initiated in 1991. The initiative recognizes hospitals and healthcare facilities that offer an optimal level of care for mothers and infants. A Baby-Friendly hospital focuses on the needs of newborns and empowers mothers and families to give their infant the best possible start in life. Baby-Friendly designated hospitals support women to initiate and to continue breastfeeding their babies and receive special recognition in the form of a BFI designation.

“An overwhelming majority of expectant mothers want to breastfeed, and they understand that the first days of their babies’ life will be crucial for their success,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton Region’s medical officer of health. “The general public is increasingly aware of the health benefits of breastfeeding and want to advocate for themselves by choosing hospitals with best practices to support breastfeeding. A hospital with a BFI designation has a WHO ’stamp of approval’ which makes it easy for parents to find the care they want and need.”

Since the inception of the program, over 15,000 hospitals worldwide have received the Baby-Friendly designation, including St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton and Toronto East General. Community health departments can also achieve the BFI designation. In Ontario, Thunder Bay and Peterborough health units, as well as Ottawa/Somerset Health Center, have received the designation, and Halton Region Health Department is currently working towards the Baby-Friendly designation.

For more information on the Halton Baby-Friendly Initiative visit www.babyfriendlyhalton.ca.

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