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The RCM support the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative

By RCM on 02 November 2016 RCM Breastfeeding

The RCM support the UNICEF BFI in their Call to Action for breastfeeding in the UK

On the 3rd and 4th November 2016, the RCM attended UNICEF’s Baby Friendly Initiative at the ICC Birmingham. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is committed to supporting members to help women give every baby the best possible start in life. There is now ‘gold standard’ evidence which underpins the benefits of breastfeeding in terms of health outcomes for children and young people. Breastfeeding starts with skin-to-skin contact at birth, now normal practice in the UK and provides a unique opportunity for mother and baby attachment.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is committed to supporting members to help women give every baby the best possible start in life. There is now ‘gold standard’ evidence which underpins the benefits of breastfeeding in terms of health outcomes for children and young people. Breastfeeding starts with skin-to-skin contact at birth, now normal practice in the UK and provides a unique opportunity for mother and baby attachment.

The RCM support UNICEF Baby Friendly "Call to Action" to support and improve Breastfeeding initiation and continuation in the UK. UNICEF are calling on UK and devolved governments to implement four key actions to create a supportive, enabling environment for women who want to breastfeed:

  • Develop a National Infant Feeding Strategy Board in each of the four nations, including members from all relevant government departments and tasked with developing a comprehensive National Infant Feeding Strategy and implementation plan.
  • Include actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in all policy areas where breastfeeding has an impact.
  • Implement evidence-based initiatives that support breastfeeding, including the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, across all maternity, health visiting, neonatal and children’s centre services.
  • Protect the public from harmful commercial interests by adopting, in full, the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes (“the Code”).

 

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) position on breastfeeding:

The RCM states that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infants life is the most appropriate method of infant feeding. Breastfeeding should continue alongside complementary foods for up to two years.

The RCM supports the WHO Global Strategy for infant and young child feeding (WHO, 2003) and the International Code on the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (WHO, 1981) and subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions.

You can view the RCM position statement about breastfeeding here

UNICEF have developed a helpful video to share and encourage professionals and families to add their voice to the campaign. Please feel free to share wider. You can watch the video here. 

Members are actively encouraged to sign up to the UNICEF BFI “Call to Action” to help change the conversation around breastfeeding and ensure that more babies in the UK are breastfed.

You can sign the campaign by visiting the UNICEF website here

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