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 (2024) 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 |
2024 |
2023 |
||
|
Public |
Private |
All |
All |
|
| 1. Written BF Policy routinely communicated to all health care staff | ||||
| 1.1) With explicit written notice |
100 |
91 |
95 |
90 |
| 1.2) BF policy displayed publicly |
100 |
73 |
84 |
84 |
| 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 |
86 |
90 |
92 |
| 2.2b) % of Paediatric nursing staff |
91 |
66(H:9) |
78(H:17) |
88(H:17) |
| 2.3) 8-hr training given to staff within six months of their arrival | ||||
| 2.3a) % of O&G doctors |
93 |
56(H:6) |
77(H:14) |
80(H:13) |
| 2.3b) % of Paediatric doctors |
93 |
45(H:6) |
72(H:14) |
73(H:13) |
| 3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits & management of BF | ||||
| 3.1) % of pregnant clients informed |
95 |
99 |
97 |
95 |
| 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 |
51 |
47 |
49 |
50(H:18) |
| 4.2) Caesarean deliveries with general anaesthesia (skin to skin when mother responsive) – % of mothers |
22 |
46(H:10) |
35(H:18) |
36(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 |
64 |
68 |
68 |
| 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 |
36 |
63 |
58 |
| 7.3) % of mothers and babies separated for medical reasons |
40 |
4 |
19 |
20(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 |
90 |
| 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 |
63 |
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.