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In December 2019, 44 establishments, public or private services, are now labeled “Friends of Babies”, which represents around 9% of births in France. Among them: the Mother-Child Pole of the CHU Lons le Saunier (Jura); the maternity hospital of Arcachon (Gironde); The maternity ward of the Bluets (Paris). Find out more: the complete list of baby-friendly maternity hospitals.
Note: all these maternities nevertheless depend on a label a little different from the international label. Indeed, this requires compliance not only with the ten conditions mentioned above, but is also reserved for establishments eliminating the promotion and supply of breastmilk substitutes, bottles and teats and which register a breastfeeding rate. exclusive maternal, from birth to leaving maternity, by at least 75%. The French label does not require a minimum breastfeeding rate.. This should nevertheless be on the rise compared to previous years, and higher than the average for the department. In addition, professionals are required to work in a network outside the establishment (PMI, doctors, liberal midwives, etc.).
Read also: Breastfeeding: are mothers under pressure?
What is the IHAB label?
The name “baby-friendly motherhood” is a label launched in 1992 at the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also found under the acronym IHAB (Baby-friendly hospital initiative). This label is awarded for a period of four years to labeled maternities. and revalidated at the end of these four years, if the establishment still meets the award criteria. It is mainly focused on supporting and respecting breastfeeding. It encourages maternity hospitals to provide information and quality support to parents to protect the bond between mother and child, respecting the needs and natural rhythms of the newborn, as well as to promote breastfeeding.
Baby-friendly motherhood: 12 conditions to obtain the label
To obtain the label, the hospital or clinic must meet specific quality criteria, defined in 1989 in a joint WHO / Unicef declaration.
- Adopt a breastfeeding policy formulated in writing
- Give all healthcare staff the necessary skills to implement this policy
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits of breastfeeding
- Leave skin to skin baby for at least 1 hour and encourage the mother to breastfeed when the baby is ready
- Teach mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants
- Do not give newborns any food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated
- Leave the child with his mother 24 hours a day
- Encourage breastfeeding at the child’s request
- Do not give breastfed infants any artificial pacifiers or pacifiers
- Encourage the establishment of breastfeeding support associations and refer mothers to them as soon as they leave the hospital or clinic
- Protect families from commercial pressures by respecting the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
- During labor and childbirth, adopt practices likely to promote the mother-child bond and a good start to breastfeeding.
France lagging behind?
In 150 countries, there are nearly 20 “baby-friendly” hospitals, of which around 000 are in Europe. With, in some leading countries, such as Sweden, 700% of maternity hospitals certified! But in this matter, the West is not in the best position: industrialized countries only account for 100% of the total number of HAIs in the world. By comparison, in Namibia, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Iran, Oman, Tunisia, Syria or Comoros, more than 15% of maternities are “baby-friendly”. The donkey hat returns to France still has few labeled maternities.
Labeled maternities in France
The movement of hospital concentration, luck or danger for the label?
It is to be hoped that efforts will continue in France to obtain the precious label, a guarantee of quality of care and respect for mothers and babies. Team training seems to be a major asset in this success. Hoping that the current movement of hospital concentration is not a brake on this development.