Implementation of Steps 1-9 to Successful Breastfeeding reduces the frequency of mild and severe episodes of diarrhea and respiratory tract infection among 0-6 month infants in Democratic Republic of Congo

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Jul 22.

Published in final edited form as: Matern Child Health J. 2018 May;22(5):762–771. doi: 10.1007/s10995-018-2446-9

Step

1	Having a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to health-care staff
2	Training all health-care staff in skulls necessary to implement this policy
3	Informing all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding
4	Helping mothers to initiate breastfeeding within 30 minutes of birth
5	Showing mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation even if separated from their infants
6	Giving newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated, and not accepting free/low-cost breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles, or teats
7	Allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours per day
8	Encouraging breastfeeding on demand
9	Giving no artificial teats or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants
10	Fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and referring mothers to them on discharge from hospital or clinic