APHA
Back to Annual Meeting
 		APHA 2006 APHA
Back to Annual Meeting
APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Measuring Baby Friendliness in Quebec: Implementation level of maternity and infant care policies and practices in the Montérégie region

Laura N. Haiek, MD, MSc, Lydia Rocheleau, Dtp, MSc, and Manon Des Côtes, BA. Department of Public Health, Montérégie Health and Social Services Agency, 1255, rue Beauregard, Longueuil, QC J4K2M3, Canada, 450-928-6777 ext 3019, l.haiek@rrsss16.gouv.qc.ca

Background: With increasing breastfeeding (BF) initiation, health organizations bear the responsibility of implementing evidence-based policies and practices, as proposed by the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI), that don't undermine maternal BF decisions. The Montérégie Agency has therefore prioritized the BFI to support mothers and increase BF duration and exclusivity in the region. Objective: As part of the planning process, an initial assessment of BFI implementation in the region's hospitals and community health centers (CHC) was performed to diagnose organizational “Baby friendliness” behavior. Follow-up assessments are performed to monitor progress in response to regional and local actions. Methods: Using an informatised instrument, measurements examine hospitals' Ten Steps to Successful BF and CHCs' Seven Point Plan implementation level. Baseline measurements were performed in 2001 (hospitals) and 2005 (CHCs); a follow-up measure was performed in 2004 (hospitals). Using the perspective of mothers, professionals and external observers, 3 to 35 indicators were measured for each step or point. Two global implementation scores were constructed to provide a summary measure, ranging from 0 to 10 for the Ten Steps, and 0 to 7 for the Seven Points. Results: Among 9 hospitals, the Ten Steps scores varied in 2001, between 2.5 and 7.0 and, in 2004, between 3.0 and 8.2. Among 19 CHCs, the Seven Point Plan scores varied between 2.0 and 5.4. Conclusions: Personalized, timely feedback of results to administrators and staff has spurred a mobilization of local key-players facilitating the adoption of BF best practices and progress towards achieving Baby Friendly certification in the region.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives