Baby Friendly
Health Initiative
Improving healthcare for babies, their mothers and families.
Welcome to the Baby Friendly Health Initiative Australia
The Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) is a joint World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF project that aims to create a healthcare environment where breastfeeding is the norm, and practices known to promote the well-being of all mothers and infants are promoted. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are the global criteria against which maternity facilities are assessed and accredited.
The role of the BFHI in Australia is to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. This is achieved by providing a framework for Baby Friendly hospitals to operate within based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Once implemented, these standards ensure all mothers and babies receive appropriate support and contemporary information in both the antenatal and postnatal period, regarding infant care and feeding.
Latest News
Twelve BFHI Assessments in 2022; now bring on 2023!
BFHI would like to warmly congratulate the following facilities on their accreditation: Queanbeyan [...]
Congratulations to Sunshine Hospital on their 6th Accreditation
By Jessica Hughes, CNC, RN, IBCLC: Sunshine Hospital is a large tertiary care [...]
Congrats to Illawarra Shoalhaven on 1st BFHI Accreditation: “We did it!!”
By Linda Deys, IBCLC: The road to Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) accreditation [...]
WHO’s Science in 5 on COVID-19: Breastfeeding & COVID-19
The World Health Organisation has aired Episode #51 of their "WHO's Science in 5" [...]
World Breastfeeding Week 2021: Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility
World Breastfeeding Week 2021 commences Sunday 1 August. The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) [...]
40th Anniversary of the Adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
Please join WHO, UNICEF, IBFAN, the BFHI Network and partners to celebrate the 40th [...]