Introduction to Baby-Friendly Community Health Service
This guide is intended for health professionals and explains the process of becoming designated as a Baby-Friendly Community Health Service (BFCHS). The Norwegian Baby-Friendly Community Health Service is an adaption for the community maternal and child health services of the WHO/UNICEF (2018) Implementation guidance for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The Norwegian BFCHs was recognized as a Best Practice for the prevention of non-communicable diseases by the EU Commission in 2022.
Process for achieving Baby-Friendly Community Health Service (BFCHS) designation
In Norway, if you want your community health service to receive the Baby-Friendly designation, you can contact the Norwegian directorate of health, the institution being responsible for guiding the process and designation. In other Countries, you can contact the national designation entity.
Implementation of Best Practice
For the purpose of the implementation of the Best Practice in the context of the Joint Action PreventNCD (preventncd.eu), this guidance provides suggestions for transferability and adaptation to the different contexts, considering that these are the minimum requirement for being designated as «Baby-Friendly Community Health Service».
Guidance document
An adaption of the WHO/Unicef Baby-Friendly Standard for the community health services:
Flowchart
Flowchart for Baby-Friendly Community Health Services (PDF)
Documents
Stage 1
- Welcome letter to the community health service – from the external designating body (PDF)
- Self-Assessment Form (PDF)
- Reflection note - self-assessment (PDF)
- Infant feeding registration form (PDF)
- Breastfeeding status summary form (PDF)
- Reflection note – registration of breastfeeding status (PDF)
Stage 2
- Documentation of information provided to physicians (PDF)
- Plan for training and updating of healthcare professionals (PDF)
Stage 4
Stage 5
- Information about user surveys in the community maternal and child health services (PDF)
- Information letter – user survey for mothers (PDF)
- User survey for mothers with 6-week-old babies (forms.office.com)
- Information letter – user survey for pregnant women (PDF)
- User survey for pregnant women (forms.office.com)
- User survey evaluation and scoring thresholds – for the external designating body (PDF)