Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI)

What is BFHI?

BFHI aims to encourage health care services and workers to promote and support breastfeeding and, where necessary, to enable practice and policy changes.

What does BFHI accreditation mean for your hospital?

• BFHI accreditation is a quality improvement measure. If a hospital achieves accreditation it demonstrates that is offers the highest standard of care to all mothers who breastfeed their babies. 
• BFHI is the global standard for assessing and accrediting hospitals. It is internationally recognised as a way to encourage mothers to start and maintain breastfeeding.
• A BFHI accredited hospital supports, respects and encourages a mother’s informed choice of infant feeding.

Tools to assist your hospital achieve BFHI accreditation

In collaboration with the Western Australia (WA) BFHI state committee, we have developed a number of tools to assist hospitals with maternity facilities achieve and maintain BFHI accreditation:

• WA Health Baby Friendly Health Initiative - hospital breastfeeding policy (PDF 425KB)
• Women and Newborn Health Service clinical guidelines newborn feeding (PDF)
• BFHI How to become accredited guide for hospitals (PDF 375KB)
• BFHI Educational tools
  • for midwives, lactation consultants (group one)
  • for doctors and allied health staff (group two)
  • for ancillary, peri operartive and recovery room staff and relevant domestic staff (group three)
  • for new staff and other who may assist with breastfeeding
• BFHI Promotional tools