Clinical Skills
Linda Smith
Owner and Director
Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Dayton, Ohio, United States
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Elise Chapin, MEd, IBCLC
Baby Friendly Initiatives - Italian National Committee for UNICEF
BFHI/UNICEF
Firenze, Italy
Disclosure information not submitted.
Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN
CEO
Baby Friendly USA
Glenmont, New York, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Chen Chao-Huei, MD
Counselor Physician
Department of Pediatrics
Taichung Veternas General Hospital
Taichung City, Taiwan (Republic of China)
Disclosure information not submitted.
Abstract: In 2016, WHO and UNICEF commissioned an update and evidence review of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The 2017 Guideline (evidence) and 2018 Implementation Guidance announced several changes in focus for the BFHI. The 2018 Guidance adds adherence to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and facility monitoring into Step 1; introduces the paradigm shift from measuring training to assuring staff competency in Step 2; and integrates of care of small, sick and premature babies into the BFHI. A team of 5 experts volunteered to create the BFHI Competency Verification Toolkit which was released by WHO in August 2020. The Toolkit is now being implemented in multiple countries and programs as detailed in this presentation.
Publication: An article describing the evolution of the Toolkit was published in the JHL:
Chapin, E. M., Chen, C.-H., Dumas, L., MacEnroe, T., Smith, L. J., Begin, F., & Grummer-Strawn, L. (2021). The Paradigm Shift in BFHI Step 2: From Training to Competency Verification. Journal of Human Lactation, 37(3), 532-538. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334421995098
Diversity and Inclusion: The WHO-UNICEF Competency Verification Toolkit was peer-reviewed in detail and depth by 20 experts from 17 low-, middle-, and high-income countries and 6 organizations representing all 6 WHO regions and at least 7 languages. The reviewers included physicians, midwives, nurses, academic experts, peer counselors, administrators, and public health professionals.
Disclosures: Presenter(s) indicated no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Lead Author: Linda J. Smith – Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Co-Author: Louise Dumas, MSN, PhD
Co-Author: Elise M. Chapin, MEd, IBCLC – BFHI/UNICEF
Co-Author: Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN – Baby Friendly USA
Co-Author: Chen Chao-Huei, MD – Taichung Veternas General Hospital
Lead Author: Linda J. Smith – Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Co-Author: Louise Dumas, MSN, PhD
Co-Author: Elise M. Chapin, MEd, IBCLC – BFHI/UNICEF
Co-Author: Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN – Baby Friendly USA
Co-Author: Chen Chao-Huei, MD – Taichung Veternas General Hospital
Lead Author: Linda J. Smith – Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Co-Author: Louise Dumas, MSN, PhD
Co-Author: Elise M. Chapin, MEd, IBCLC – BFHI/UNICEF
Co-Author: Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN – Baby Friendly USA
Co-Author: Chen Chao-Huei, MD – Taichung Veternas General Hospital
Lead Author: Linda J. Smith – Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Co-Author: Louise Dumas, MSN, PhD
Co-Author: Elise M. Chapin, MEd, IBCLC – BFHI/UNICEF
Co-Author: Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN – Baby Friendly USA
Co-Author: Chen Chao-Huei, MD – Taichung Veternas General Hospital
Lead Author: Linda J. Smith – Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd.
Co-Author: Louise Dumas, MSN, PhD
Co-Author: Elise M. Chapin, MEd, IBCLC – BFHI/UNICEF
Co-Author: Eileen LaVigne FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN – Baby Friendly USA
Co-Author: Chen Chao-Huei, MD – Taichung Veternas General Hospital