Improving Skin To Skin Contact Immediately After Birth and Breastfeeding by Implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding at a Tertiary Community Hospital

Abstract

Background:United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and many national government health agencies recommend that babies are breastfed exclusively for their first six months of life [1]. Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from serious illnesses, including gastroenteritis, asthma, eczema, respiratory infections, pneumonia, ear infections, otitis media, and sudden infant death syndrome [1-3]. Objective:We hypothesized that by not separating infants and increasing Skin to skin (STS) contact our exclusive breastfeeding rates would increase. We conduct a quality improvement project, utilizing Multidisciplinary team with the aim of increasing breastfeeding rate and making our hospital baby-friendly. Significance and Conclusion: Multidisciplinary staff training, no separation of dyad unless medically indicated, STS contact, peer support, have been shown to be effective [4] in promoting breastfeeding in new mothers. The Lincoln BFHI is an ongoing evolving project. We aim to improve our strengths, resolve the areas of weakness in the program and move forward for better results every day. As of February 27, 2015, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, became the First Hospital in the Bronx, New York to attain Baby-Friendly designation and recognized by WHO, UNICEF and Baby-Friendly USA for promoting breastfeeding to improve infant and maternal health [5].