Trinidad and Tobago, 7th-9th December, 2011. The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Trinidad and Tobago conducted a three day lactation management workshop for 23 nurses and midwives selected from five hospitals and nursing schools 7th-9th December at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

 

Lactation management workshop:

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Trinidad and Tobago conducted a three day lactation management workshop for 23 nurses and midwives selected from five  hospitals and nursing schools 7-9 December at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

In Trinidad and Tobago exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months is less than 20%, with over 40% of infants given breast milk and complementary feed. A (41) % early initiation rate for breastfeeding, pointing to the practice not being sustained at home after discharge. There is a national breastfeeding policy, which should be operational at all public institutions and is clearly not having the desired impact. Hence there is a greater need to train health care providers in the management of breastfeeding to improve the skills and knowledge and create a supporting environment for mothers to initiate and continue breast feeding immediately after birth and thereafter.

Objectives of the workshop were:

1)    To train health care providers in Trinidad and Tobago on the breast feeding management intervention methods and ways for:

• pregnant women intending to breastfeed;
• women who have delivered and who express intention to breastfeed; and
• women who breastfeed their babies for different durations of time

2)    To emphasize the importance of appropriate feeding practices in the context of baby friendly hospital initiatives and infant and young child feeding policy.

}  Identify practices that support and those that interfere with breastfeeding;

}  Practice the ten steps to successful breastfeeding and abide by the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes;

}  Collaborate with co-workers to highlight barriers to breastfeeding and seek ways to overcome those barriers.

}  Use communication skills to talk with pregnant women, mothers and co-workers;

}  Discuss with a pregnant woman the importance of breastfeeding and outline practices that support the initiation of breastfeeding;

}  Facilitate skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding;

}  Assist a mother to learn the skills of positioning and attaching her baby as well as the skill of hand expression;

}  Discuss with a mother how to find support for breastfeeding after she returns home;

}  Outline what needs to be discussed with a women who is not breastfeeding and know to whom to refer this woman for further assistance with feeding her baby, including relactation

 

The goals of the training were:

3)    Implement the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFI)

a.    Increase / update breastfeeding knowledge

b.    Learn / reinforce clinical skills

c.    Acquire / confirm attitudes

4)    Develop a team approach to implement BFI

a.    In hospitals and birth centers

b.    In community clinics

c.    In the larger / global community

5)    Sustain policy and evidence-based practices