BACKGROUND: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to promote breastfeeding in maternity facilities worldwide, has had a global impact on breastfeeding outcomes, but other interventions are needed both before and after hospital discharge to meet the recommended targets at 6 months. The Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI), a multifaceted program for community-based breastfeeding promotion that is complementary to the BFHI, addresses this challenge. OBJECTIVE: To describe the development, strategy, and implementation of the BFCI in Italy. METHODS: In 2006, UNICEF Italy created a working group to develop the BFCI for the Italian health system. A review of the different BFCI models worldwide was conducted. A preliminary adaptation of tools to Italian community health care settings was developed in 2007, when the Italian BFCI Seven Steps were published. Two years later, UNICEF Italy launched the Standards for Best Practice for both hospitals and communities, based on 2009 BFHI and UNICEF UK BFCI materials. OUTCOMES: The main outcome was to promote this process in Italian regional health systems and develop tools to assess compliance with the BFCI criteria. There is now one fully accredited Baby-Friendly Community in Italy, and 17 other communities are working on the various stages. CONCLUSIONS: The BFCI, a complex program that involves participation, training, audits, a continuous flow of feedback, and provision of resources for health workers and families, is now a reality in Italy.
BACKGROUND: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to promote breastfeeding in maternity facilities worldwide, has had a global impact on breastfeeding outcomes, but other interventions are needed both before and after hospital discharge to meet the recommended targets at 6 months. The Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI), a multifaceted program for community-based breastfeeding promotion that is complementary to the BFHI, addresses this challenge. OBJECTIVE: To describe the development, strategy, and implementation of the BFCI in Italy. METHODS: In 2006, UNICEF Italy created a working group to develop the BFCI for the Italian health system. A review of the different BFCI models worldwide was conducted. A preliminary adaptation of tools to Italian community health care settings was developed in 2007, when the Italian BFCI Seven Steps were published. Two years later, UNICEF Italy launched the Standards for Best Practice for both hospitals and communities, based on 2009 BFHI and UNICEF UK BFCI materials. OUTCOMES: The main outcome was to promote this process in Italian regional health systems and develop tools to assess compliance with the BFCI criteria. There is now one fully accredited Baby-Friendly Community in Italy, and 17 other communities are working on the various stages. CONCLUSIONS: The BFCI, a complex program that involves participation, training, audits, a continuous flow of feedback, and provision of resources for health workers and families, is now a reality in Italy.
Authors: Anna Macaluso; Maria Enrica Bettinelli; Elise M Chapin; Lílian Córdova do Espírito Santo; Rita Mascheroni; Anna Maria Murante; Marcella Montico; Adriano Cattaneo Journal: Breastfeed Med Date: 2013-02-11 Impact factor: 1.817
Authors: Adriano Cattaneo; Maria Enrica Bettinelli; Elise Chapin; Anna Macaluso; Lílian Córdova do Espírito Santo; Anna Maria Murante; Marcella Montico Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2016-05-06 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Maria Adriana Burgio; Antonio Simone Laganà; Angela Sicilia; Romana Prosperi Porta; Maria Grazia Porpora; Helena Ban Frangež; Giovanni DI Venti; Onofrio Triolo Journal: Iran J Public Health Date: 2016-08 Impact factor: 1.429
Authors: Betty Mogesi Samburu; Sera Lewise Young; Frederick Murunga Wekesah; Milkah Njeri Wanjohi; Judith Kimiywe; Peter Muriuki; Paula L Griffiths; Stephen T McGarvey; Nyovani Janet Madise; Elizabeth W Kimani-Murage Journal: Int Breastfeed J Date: 2020-07-14 Impact factor: 3.461