The Ten Steps involve changes in maternity services. Every facility providing maternity services
should have a breastfeeding policy and carry out structural changes and train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy. They are aimed to protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding in facilities that provide maternity services.
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched in 1991 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with the goal of protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding in facilities that provide maternity services, ensuring that the facilities follow the WHO/UNICEF “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” (the Ten Steps) and adhere to the 1981 International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
Nurturing Care refers to a stable environment created by parents and other caregivers that ensures, with policy, service and community support children's good health and nutrition, protects them from threats, and gives young children opportunities for early learning, through interactions that are emotionally supportive and responsive.
At birth, the nervous system of newborns, even after a full-term gestation, is not fully developed. The human brain continues to grow and develop postnatally at a rapid rate and becomes increasingly complex as growth progresses.
All infants should receive their first dose of hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible after birth, preferably within 24 hours.
When not feasible, the birth dose can still be effective in preventing perinatal transmission if given within 7 days, particularly within 3 days, although somewhat less than if given within 24 hours, but with declining effectiveness with each passing day. Even after 7 days, a late birth dose can be effective in preventing horizontal transmission and therefore remains beneficial.
The best way to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B is through the hepatitis B vaccination of their infants, with the first dose administered during the first 24 hours of life.
The best way to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B is through the hepatitis B vaccination of their infants, with the first dose administered during the first 24 hours of life.
To date, active COVID-19 (virus that can cause infection) has not been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed/suspected COVID-19. It appears unlikely, therefore, that COVID-19 would be transmitted through breastfeeding or by giving breastmilk that has been expressed by a mother who is confirmed/suspected to have COVID-19
Mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are advised to wear a medical mask, but even if this is not possible, breastfeeding should be continued.
It is important to replace medical masks as soon as they become damp and dispose of them immediately. Masks should not be reused or touched in the front but to remove it from behind.
It is important to follow other infection prevention measures, such as washing hands, cleaning surfaces, and covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.
In all socio-economic settings, breastfeeding improves survival and provides lifelong health and development advantages to newborns and infants. Breastfeeding also improves the health of mothers. Transmission of active COVID-19 (virus that can cause infection) through breast milk and breastfeeding has not been detected to date. Therefore, there is no reason to avoid or discontinue breastfeeding.
Delayed umbilical cord clamping, performed within 1 to 3 minutes after birth, is recommended to improve infant health outcomes. Delay (1 – 3 minutes) after birth for clamping and subsequent section of the umbilical cord allows the transfusion of blood from the placenta to the newborn, which in turn improves their iron store and contributes to meet the requirements of this micronutrient during the first six months.
Iron is a critical micronutrient from immune function to neurological development in children. Its deficit generates iron deficiency anaemia.