Abstract
Author(s): DANUTA MAÅAÅCZUK1, PIOTR WOŹNIAK2, EWA GULCZYÅSKA3, BOGUSÅAWA RUDNICKA1,BARBARA WROÅSKA1, GRZEGORZ KRASOMSKI2
Introduction. Proper nutrition for young children has been a matter of interest of many localand international institutions and organizations. They all claim that breastfeeding is an opti-mal way to feed newborns, infants and young children.The aim. The assessment of adherence to reccommendations of perinatal care standards in termsof ‘ten steps to successful breasfeeding’. Material and methods. Anonymous survey has been carried out among 175 pregnant womenin The Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital in Lodz. Analysis of hospital practices and theinvolvement of health care professionals in breastfeeding promotion has been made. Measu-rable features with the use of chi- square test have been analyzed.Results. The number of newborns (64%) breastfed in the recommended time after thephy-siological delivery increases, although the percentage of mothers delivering by caesarian section(73%) and breasfeeding within 6 hours after the operation is stillvery low. Only 32,6% ofnewborns were breastfed exclusively and only 31% mothers were encouraged to have ‘skin-to-skin contact’.Conclusions. Promotion of breastfeeding by modification of hospital practices and constanteducation of hospital personnel is needed.