Jones Shirley R, Stoppard Miriam
Birmingham City University.
J Fam Health Care. 2011 Jan-Feb;21(1):12-4.
The UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has identified steps to promote breast-feeding in maternity hospitals worldwide. However, in the UK it is customary for women to make informed choices about their method of infant feeding and surveys show that a substantial number choose formula feeding either initially or after a few weeks. While upholding the benefits of breast-feeding, health professionals have a duty of care to ensure that mothers who choose to formula feed are taught to do so safely and appropriately with correct and up-to-date information, e.g. on allergy prevention. Many midwives are under the mistaken impression that the BFHI's "ten steps" to successful breast-feeding forbid discussion with mothers about formulae and the practicalities of formula feeding, including demonstration of sterilisation of equipment and preparation of feeds. In fact the BFHI clearly includes what is required for safe and appropriate formula feeding. Yet it is not easy for midwives to obtain the information they need on formula feeding, especially as many maternity units in the UK appear to have stopped manufacturers' representatives from meeting with managers or clinical midwives to give factual information on infant formula. As a result of these factors, a serious discrepancy has opened up between the stated goals of the BFHI and its interpretation in practice, and some mothers and their babies are being badly served.
联合国儿童基金会爱婴医院倡议（BFHI）已确定了在全球范围内的妇产医院促进母乳喂养的步骤。然而，在英国，女性习惯对其婴儿喂养方式做出明智的选择，调查显示，相当一部分女性最初或几周后会选择配方奶喂养。在坚持母乳喂养益处的同时，健康专业人员有责任确保选择配方奶喂养的母亲学会安全、适当地进行喂养，并获得正确和最新的信息，例如关于预防过敏的信息。许多助产士存在错误观念，认为BFHI成功母乳喂养的“十步骤”禁止与母亲讨论配方奶及配方奶喂养的实际操作，包括设备消毒演示和奶液配制。实际上，BFHI明确涵盖了安全、适当配方奶喂养所需的内容。然而，助产士很难获取她们所需的关于配方奶喂养的信息，尤其是在英国，许多产科病房似乎已禁止制造商代表与管理人员或临床助产士会面，以提供关于婴儿配方奶的实际信息。由于这些因素，BFHI的既定目标与其在实践中的解读之间出现了严重差异，一些母亲和她们的宝宝受到了不良影响。
