Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative

12 November 2013

Question No. 1613

Name of Person: Ms Faizah Jamal

Question

To ask the Minister for Health to date, how many Government and private hospitals have been accredited with 'Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative' status and when will all hospitals be so accredited.

Question No. 1615

Name of Person: Ms Faizah Jamal

Question

To ask the Minister for Health what steps have been taken to actively promote breastfeeding in Singapore and what steps are being taken to prevent companies from unethically marketing infant formula and food to mothers with babies one year old and below.

Answer

1       The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life as it provides all the energy and nutrients needed for optimal growth, development and protection against infectious and chronic diseases. The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers, by educating and supporting them in breastfeeding, before birth, during their hospital stay and after they are discharged, can contribute towards improving infants’ health.

2       The  Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Association for Breastfeeding Advocacy (Singapore) (ABAS) have been working with five hospitals—National University Hospital (NUH), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Mount Alvernia Hospital, and Thomson Medical Centre—to implement the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) guidelines and achieve BFHI certification.[1] HPB and ABAS are working with the five identified hospitals as they account for 80% of the births in Singapore. Currently, NUH and SGH have achieved BFHI certification. All five hospitals are committed to the principles outlined in the BFHI guidelines, and have implemented initiatives such as the provision of training to all maternity ward staff to provide breastfeeding counselling, consultation and support to mothers.                                                                                               

3       Promotion of breastfeeding is also accompanied by measures to protect parents from excessive marketing of infant formula targeted at children aged 0-6 months. In this respect, the Sale of Infant Foods Ethics Committee Singapore (SIFECS) Code of Ethics was established to safeguard ethical standards on appropriate marketing and distribution of breast milk substitutes. Adherence to the Code is obligatory on the entire infant food industry operating in Singapore.

4       Breastfeeding puts an infant on the right start to life. My Ministry will work together with stakeholders to ensure that mothers are provided the appropriate skills and support to ensure that they are motivated to continue breastfeeding their babies for the recommended period.

[1] The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched by WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1991 as a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.