Saudi Hospitals Compliance With the Baby-Friendly Hospitals Initiative Evaluation Study

Introduction National surveys from Saudi Arabia have shown that the breastfeeding rate in Saudi Arabia is lagging behind the global recommendations. The UNICEF and WHO have launched the 10-step Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) for encouraging healthcare facilities across the world to support breastfeeding in a better way. In this study, we validated the Arabic version of the self-appraisal and monitoring tool based on the BFHI as well as assessed the determinants of breastfeeding practice in Saudi Arabia. Methods This was an analytical cross-sectional study. We used the free validated tool-Questionnaire for Breastfeeding Mother based on the BFHI Session 4.2 Guidelines. The tool was translated and validated in Arabic. A nonprobability sample included mothers of children based on the following inclusion criteria: 1) mothers living in Saudi Arabia; 2) mothers of children aged 0-12 months. The Arabic version was modified into six parts, and the questionnaire was left open for respondents for a period of six months. Descriptive statistics were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The sample size was 584, and during prenatal visits, 23.6% of mothers were provided with information about skin-to-skin contact immediately after childbirth. Of these, 40% started breastfeeding immediately and 43% were encouraged to breastfeed postnatally. On discharge, 34.6% of mothers received help for feeding-related issues. Conclusion Our hospitals are well set to adopt the BFHI in terms of policy making and coordinated postnatal care. However, prenatal care should be more focused on promoting breastfeeding. Massive and coordinated quality improvement steps are highly indicated to completely implement the initiative.