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 (2022) 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

2022

2021

 

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

64

79

90

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

97

91

93

91

   2.2b) % of Paediatric nursing staff

95

68(H:8)

82(H:16)

74(H:16)

2.3) 8-hr training given to staff within six months of their arrival 

   2.3a) % of O&G doctors

98

43(H:5)

77(H:13)

59(H:15)

   2.3b) % of Paediatric doctors

92

36(H:5)

70(H:13)

56(H:15)

3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits & management of BF 

3.1) % of pregnant clients informed

92

99

96

94

3.2) Give group instruction on artificial feeding

0

9

5

16

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

51

65(H:10)

59(H:18)

38

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

22

70(H:10)

49(H:18)

26(H:17)

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

82

79

58

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

58

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

100

36

63

56

7.3) % of mothers and babies separated for medical reasons

40

5(H:9)

21(H:17)

22

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

73

84

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

63

73

68

 53

 

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.