Implementation in Hong Kong

Since 1992, we conduct survey on local hospitals’ practices of the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” every year. Below is the result of the latest survey (2023) based on the self-appraisal by 19 local hospitals with maternity units.

(Please click here for the previous reports of the annual survey.)

Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (BF)

(Self-Appraisal by Hospitals)

 

Hospital %

Survey year

2023

2022

 

Public

Private

All

All

1.  Written BF Policy routinely communicated to all health care staff
1.1) With explicit written notice

100

82

90

90

1.2) BF policy displayed publicly

100

73

84

79

2.  Train all health care staff
2.1) Acquainted with BF policy

100

100

100

100

2.2) 20-hr training given to staff within six months of their arrival
   2.2a) % of O&G nursing staff

96

89

92

93

   2.2b) % of Paediatric nursing staff

94

83(H:9)

88(H:17)

82(H:16)

2.3) 8-hr training given to staff within six months of their arrival
   2.3a) % of O&G doctors

94

57(H:5)

80(H:13)

77(H:13)

   2.3b) % of Paediatric doctors

91

44(H:5)

73(H:13)

70(H:13)

3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits & management of BF
3.1) % of pregnant clients informed

91

99

95

96

3.2) Give group instruction on artificial feeding

0

9

5

5

4. Help mothers initiate BF within half an hour of birth
4.1) Vaginal or Caesarean deliveries without general anaesthesia (skin-to-skin) – % of mothers who had skin-to-skin contact within 5 minutes and >1 hour

47

53(H:10)

50(H:18)

59(H:18)

4.2) Caesarean deliveries with general anaesthesia (skin to skin when   mother responsive) – % of mothers

22

48(H:9)

36(H:17)

49(H:18)

5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infant
5.1) Offer breastfeeding assistance within six hours of delivery

100

100

100

100

5.2) Help mothers of babies in special care maintain lactation

100

100

100

100

6. Give newborn only breast-milk, unless medically indicated
6.1) Given newborn infants no food or drink other than breast-milk

75

64

68

79

6.2) No free or low-cost supplies of breast-milk substitutes accepted

100

100

100

100

6.3) No promotion of infant foods or drinks other than breast-milk

100

100

100

100

7. Practise rooming-in – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day
7.1) Mothers and babies with normal vaginal delivery are rooming-in from birth

100

36

63

63

7.2) All mothers and babies stayed in the same room day and night

100

27

58

63

7.3) % of mothers and babies separated for medical reasons

37

4(H:9)

20(H:17)

21(H:17)

7.4) There is a nursery in postnatal ward for healthy infants

0

100

58

58

8. Encourage responsive (or demand) breastfeeding

100

36

63

63

9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers to BF infants

100

82

90

84

10. Coordinate discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care
10.1) Breastfeeding mothers are informed where they can access breastfeeding support in their community

100

100

100

100

10.2) Facilities coordinate with community services that provide breastfeeding/infant feeding support including
   10.2a) clinical management

 100

 100

100

100

   10.2b) mother-to-mother support

50

73

63

68

 

Remarks:

Public hospitals with maternity unit: 8

Private hospitals with maternity unit: 11

All hospitals gave a response unless “H”, no. of hospitals providing information stated.