Guideline

Guideline: protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in facilities providing maternity and newborn services

Year of Publication

2017

Issuing Institution

World Health Organization

Links

WHO IRIS

Recommendations

15 included recommendations

For preterm infants who are unable to breastfeed directly, non-nutritive sucking and oral stimulation may be beneficial until breastfeeding is established.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Low

If expressed breast milk or other feeds are medically indicated for term infants, feeding methods such as cups, spoons or feeding bottles and teats may be used during their stay at the facility

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

If expressed breast milk or other feeds are medically indicated for preterm infants, feeding methods such as cups or spoons are preferable to feeding bottles and teats.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Early and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and infants should be facilitated and encouraged as soon as possible after birth

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

All mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, within the first hour after delivery.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

High

Mothers should receive practical support to enable them to initiate and establish breastfeeding and manage common breastfeeding difficulties.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Mothers should be coached on how to express breast milk as a means of maintaining lactation in the event of their being separated temporarily from their infants.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Facilities providing maternity and newborn services should enable mothers and their infants to remain together and to practise rooming-in throughout the day and night. This may not apply in circumstances when infants need to be moved for specialized medical care.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Mothers should be supported to practise responsive feeding as part of nurturing care

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Where facilities provide antenatal care, pregnant women and their families should be counselled about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Mothers should be discouraged from giving any food or fluids other than breast milk, unless medically indicated

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Mothers should be supported to recognize their infants’ cues for feeding, closeness and comfort, and enabled to respond accordingly to these cues with a variety of options, during their stay at the facility providing maternity and newborn services

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

High

Facilities providing maternity and newborn services should have a clearly written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to staff and parents

Status

Maintained

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Very low

Health-facility staff who provide infant feeding services, including breastfeeding support, should have sufficient knowledge, competence and skills to support women to breastfeed

Status

Maintained

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Very low

As part of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, discharge from facilities providing maternity and newborn services should be planned for and coordinated, so that parents and their infants have access to ongoing support and receive appropriate care

Status

New

Recommended

Certainty of evidence

Low