First hospital in HCM City meets breastfeeding practice standards

This is the fifth in Vietnam and the first in HCM City to
receive the certificate, which recognises the facilities’ efforts in practicing
the process of early care for newborn and supporting breastfeeding activities.

According to Doctor Hoang Thi Diem Tuyet, Director of Hung
Vuong Hospital, in face of the low rate of breastfeeding mothers due to their
inadequate knowledge of the practice, the hospital has pioneered in giving
consultations to mothers on its benefit and supporting them in the field, thus
changing their awareness and helping them with breastfeeding in the hospital
and at home.

In the first three quarters of 2019, over 80 percent of
mothers giving birth in the hospital enjoy skin-to-skin contact with their
babies continuously within 90 minutes right after their birth and have their
first breast milk.

As many as 92 percent of mothers giving birth in the hospital
gave positive feedback of breastfeeding consultations given by the hospital, and
over 70 percent of them practiced exclusive breastfeeding while staying in the
hospital.

Roger Mathisen, Director of Alive and Thrive in Southeast
Asia, said that thanks to the hospital’s efforts in assisting mothers to
breastfeed their children, the rate of breastfeeding mothers in the hospital
rose considerably in the first nine months of this year.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Vinh, head of the Maternal and Child
Health Department, noted that in Vietnam, 95 percent of mothers give birth in
health care facilities, facilitating communications on breastfeeding.

Successful breastfeeding does not depend on only mothers,
but also require supports from the families, community and healthcare staff, he
stressed.

On August 6, the Health Ministry issued regulations
detailing the criteria and procedure to recognise hospitals with excellent
breastfeeding practice, contributing to improving healthcare
services for mothers and children./.