Incorporating BFI Messages
Everyday
Laura Matz, RN, BSN, MPH
Public Health Nursing Consultant
Ministry of Health
April 2015
Supporting the BFI at a Provincial
Level
• Process to include BFI in our resources
• Challenges faced going through this process
• Successes of our initiatives.
Saskatchewan
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Population: 1.1 million
Geography: 1.8 people per sq. km
13 Regional Health Authorities
2 First Nations Jurisdictions
Provincial Focus
• Opportunity to review current processes and
resources
• Appetite for standardizing client services and
provider resources
• RHAs do not have time and capacity for
individual review
• Initiated use of WHO Growth Charts
provincially
Provincial Process
• Worked with interdisciplinary group
– Nutritionists, Dental Health Educators, Public
Health Nurses, Speech and Language Pathologists,
Early Childhood Psychologists, Health Promotion
Professionals, and Parents
– Common language
– Strong interest in working together
• Work reviewed by the Breastfeeding
Committee for Saskatchewan
Challenges
• Working with interdisciplinary group
– 7 different professions
– Multiple years of experience
– Many opinions and passions
– Different understanding of BFI
Challenges
• Balancing breastfeeding as the normal way to
feed with formula feeding as the most
common way to feed in Saskatchewan
– Breastfeeding initiation rates 86% in 2012
– Exclusivity rates at six months 31.9% in2012
Challenges
• Language used with health professionals and
parents
– Normalize breastfeeding
– No breastfeeding instead of formula feeding
– Supportive language – (removes “no, should,
don’t”)
– Shift to talking about the risks of formula feeding
Provincial Successes
• Child Health Clinic Guidelines for Standard
Practice
– Provincial guidelines
– Nutrition assessment promotes breastfeeding and
feeding relationships
Provincial Successes
• Provincial Implementation of WHO Growth
Charts
– Initiated in 2011
– Updated charts in 2014
Provincial Successes
• Nutrition and Growth Assessment Manual for
Healthy Term Infants and Children (NAMIC)
– Language and assessments supportive of BF
• Uses breastfed infant and non-breastfed infant
terminology
• The breastfed infant is the standard reference point
Provincial Successes
• Growing Up Healthy pamphlet series
– Series of seven pamphlets from newborn to six
years of age
– Provides anticipatory guidance for parents but
does not replace the discussion
– Reviewed to be BFI and meet International Code
of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes
Success
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Provincial
Standardized
Interdisciplinary development and review
Ongoing scheduled review
• Engagement of health professionals
using the resources
Web Links
Public Health Manuals
http://www.ehealthsask.ca/services/manuals/Pages/de
fault.aspx
Growing Up Healthy pamphlet series
http://www.saskatchewan.ca/live/health-and-healthyliving/health-topics-awareness-andprevention/children-health-and-parenting/growing-uphealthy .
Thank you !
For more information contact:
Laura Matz RN, BSN, MPH
Population Health Branch
Ministry of Health
[email protected]
306-787-6921