Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF)
Abstract Breastfeeding is the most accessible and cost‐effective activity available to public health and has been shown to be one of the most effective preventive measures mothers can take to protect their children's health. Despite the well‐documented benefits, the UK has one of the lowest bre...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Maternal and Child Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13443 |
| _version_ | 1828065948810084352 |
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| author | Rowena Merritt Sally Kendall Tamsyn Eida Fiona Dykes Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla |
| author_facet | Rowena Merritt Sally Kendall Tamsyn Eida Fiona Dykes Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla |
| author_sort | Rowena Merritt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Breastfeeding is the most accessible and cost‐effective activity available to public health and has been shown to be one of the most effective preventive measures mothers can take to protect their children's health. Despite the well‐documented benefits, the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. The Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) toolkit was developed through highly structured technical and academic collaboration, led by Yale University. It provides an evidence‐based process to help countries assess their breastfeeding status and readiness to scale up, and identifies concrete measures countries can take to sustainably increase breastfeeding rates, based on data‐driven recommendations. BBF is grounded in the Breastfeeding Gear Model complex adaptive systems framework which is made up of eight simultaneous conditions that sustain breastfeeding. In 2018, a committee of multi‐agency stakeholders implemented the BBF process in England, collecting evidence to score the ‘gear’ components of England's breastfeeding environment against 54 benchmarks. The Training and Programme Delivery gear received the highest score, attributable to existing learning outcomes for health professionals and practitioners, peer supporters and specialist services, although there is a need for greater coordination and integration. The lowest scores were given for Promotion and Coordination, Goals and Monitoring due to the lack of a dedicated national strategy for breastfeeding and poor sharing of localised strategies and programmes. The process generated clear recommendations highlighting the need for more robust routine infant feeding data collection and reporting, and the necessity for strengthening leadership, monitoring and oversight to scale up and sustain breastfeeding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:22:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9ae44d3dcdaa473e8c394171c4bea46a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1740-8695 1740-8709 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:22:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Maternal and Child Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-9ae44d3dcdaa473e8c394171c4bea46a2023-01-12T13:34:26ZengWileyMaternal and Child Nutrition1740-86951740-87092023-01-0119S1n/an/a10.1111/mcn.13443Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF)Rowena Merritt0Sally Kendall1Tamsyn Eida2Fiona Dykes3Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla4Centre for Health Services Studies University of Kent Canterbury UKCentre for Health Services Studies University of Kent Canterbury UKCentre for Health Services Studies University of Kent Canterbury UKMaternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN) University of Central Lancashire Preston UKDepartment of Social and Behavioural Sciences Yale University School of Public Health New Haven Connecticut USAAbstract Breastfeeding is the most accessible and cost‐effective activity available to public health and has been shown to be one of the most effective preventive measures mothers can take to protect their children's health. Despite the well‐documented benefits, the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. The Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) toolkit was developed through highly structured technical and academic collaboration, led by Yale University. It provides an evidence‐based process to help countries assess their breastfeeding status and readiness to scale up, and identifies concrete measures countries can take to sustainably increase breastfeeding rates, based on data‐driven recommendations. BBF is grounded in the Breastfeeding Gear Model complex adaptive systems framework which is made up of eight simultaneous conditions that sustain breastfeeding. In 2018, a committee of multi‐agency stakeholders implemented the BBF process in England, collecting evidence to score the ‘gear’ components of England's breastfeeding environment against 54 benchmarks. The Training and Programme Delivery gear received the highest score, attributable to existing learning outcomes for health professionals and practitioners, peer supporters and specialist services, although there is a need for greater coordination and integration. The lowest scores were given for Promotion and Coordination, Goals and Monitoring due to the lack of a dedicated national strategy for breastfeeding and poor sharing of localised strategies and programmes. The process generated clear recommendations highlighting the need for more robust routine infant feeding data collection and reporting, and the necessity for strengthening leadership, monitoring and oversight to scale up and sustain breastfeeding.https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13443baby friendly hospital initiativebreast milkbreastfeedingbreastfeeding promotionbreastfeeding supportdeveloped countries |
| spellingShingle | Rowena Merritt Sally Kendall Tamsyn Eida Fiona Dykes Rafael Pérez‐Escamilla Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) Maternal and Child Nutrition baby friendly hospital initiative breast milk breastfeeding breastfeeding promotion breastfeeding support developed countries |
| title | Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) |
| title_full | Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) |
| title_fullStr | Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) |
| title_short | Scaling up breastfeeding in England through the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly initiative (BBF) |
| title_sort | scaling up breastfeeding in england through the becoming breastfeeding friendly initiative bbf |
| topic | baby friendly hospital initiative breast milk breastfeeding breastfeeding promotion breastfeeding support developed countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13443 |
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