Scaling up breastfeeding policy and programs in Samoa: application of the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is a critical, evidence-based intervention that addresses malnutrition, improves early childhood development outcomes, and influences long-term maternal and infant health by reducing the noncommunicable disease risk. Scaling up breastfeeding is an indisputably strong action countries can take to prevent suboptimal maternal and infant health outcomes. The Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) initiative assists countries with scaling up breastfeeding policy and programs. BBF has been successfully implemented within Latin America, Africa, Europe and SouthEast Asian regions. This study assessed its application in Samoa. Methods: In 2018, BBF was implemented in Samoa by a 20 member committee of breastfeeding experts who participated in collecting and utilizing national level data to score the degree of friendliness of Samoa's breastfeeding environment, identify gaps, and propose policy recommendations to address those gaps. This eightmonth process resulted in a public event where priority recommendations were widely disseminated to decision makers and actions agreed upon. Results: The total BBF Index score for Samoa was 1.6 out of 3.0, indicating a moderate breastfeeding friendly environment for scaling up policies and programs that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. Gear total scores indicated that seven of the eight gears were moderately strong within Samoa, while the eighth gear, funding and resources, was weakest in strength. Six prioritized recommendations emerged: 1) development and implementation of a National Breastfeeding Policy and Strategic Action Plan; 2) strengthening monitoring and evaluation of all breastfeeding activities; 3) ratifying the International Labour Organization's Maternity Protection Convention 2000 (No 183); 4) identifying high-level advocates to champion and serve as role models for breastfeeding; 5) creation of a national budget line for breastfeeding activities; and 6) hiring of a national breastfeeding coordinator and trainer. Decision makers demonstrated commitment by signing the breastfeeding policy for hospitals ahead of the BBF dissemination meeting and electing to move forward with establishing lactation rooms within government ministries. Conclusion: Implementation of BBF in Samoa yielded important policy recommendations that will address current gaps in national level breastfeeding support. The BBF consultation process can be successfully applied to other countries within the Western Pacific region in order to strengthen their breastfeeding programs.

Spatial distribution and determinants of the change in pre-lacteal feeding practice over time in Ethiopia: A spatial and multivariate decomposition analysis

“…Regarding the timing of the initiation of breastfeeding, a decrease in the composition of women who initiated breastfeeding within one hour contributes to the change in pre-lacteal feeding practice over the survey period. This may indicate that women with early breastfeeding initiation have no room for additional feedings, such as pre-lacteal foods for the newborn [ 15 , 36 , 37 ].…”

“…Pre-lacteal feeding is still a major public health problem. Worldwide the prevalence of pre-lacteal feeding ranges from 12.3% in Timor-Leste to 85.2% in Nigeria [ 6 , 11 – 15 ]. In Ethiopia, pre-lacteal feeding practice is also a devastating problem that ranges from 14.2% in the Mettu district to 38.8% in Raya Kobo [ 16 – 20 ].…”

“…Evidences revealed that maternal age, maternal educational level, socioeconomic status, exposure to media, antenatal care (ANC) visit, place of delivery, cesarean delivery, the timing of breastfeeding initiation, parity, sex of the child, distance from the health facility, and residence are among the different factors contributing for pre-lacteal feeding practice [ 15 , 17 , 18 , 21 – 26 ].…”

Temporal Changes in Breast Milk Fatty Acids Contents: A Case Study of Malay Breastfeeding Women

“…Throughout the milk collection period, milk samples were collected in the morning to standardise the timing of collection and to minimise circadian effects on milk composition [ 17 ]. Before collecting milk sample, the nipples and areolas of the breast were cleaned with 70% alcohol ethyl alcohol.…”

The Effect of Oketani Breast Massage on Successful Breastfeeding, Mothers’ Breastfeeding Support Need, and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy: A Clinical Trial Study

“…Low levels of breastfeeding self-efficacy are associated with an increased probability of early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding (11). Nevertheless, breastfeeding self-efficacy has shown a significant and positive relationship with increasing the breastfeeding duration (6,9) and is considered as one of the important indicators influencing breastfeeding outcomes (12,13).…”