Australia is not so baby friendly
For further information, contact Melissa Maimann at Essential Birth Consulting.
Ms Randa Saadeh, a Senior Scientist with the World Health Organization (WHO), is speaking at the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s national seminar series … [she] is stressing the need for hospitals, workplaces and the community to support mothers and babies to continue breastfeeding.
Current infant feeding practices in Australia are resulting in unnecessarily high hospitalisation rates. Early weaning increases, by five fold, the risk of respiratory disease, gastro, middle ear infections and obesity.
The Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) improves breastfeeding rates which result in fewer child health interventions, including costly hospital admissions. In Australia however, the number of BFHI accredited hospitals is just 20%. New Zealand boasts 90% of their hospitals with BFHI status as a result of strong government support.
