HealthLine 811

Our Baby-Friendly Pledge to You

Our goal is to respect and assist every family. We will give you and your family information to make informed decisions about how you feed and care for your baby(ies). Breast/chest feeding is protected, promoted and supported.

We pledge to support your family’s choice for infant feeding.  Baby-Friendly Infant Feeding Clinical Resources

The Baby-Friendly Infant Feeding Clinical Standard (BFI Policy) provides information regarding evidence-based feeding support for newborns, infants, and young children and their parents.  

Baby-Friendly Designation

Facilities in the Saskatchewan Health Authority are striving to become Baby-Friendly. In order to be accredited as a Baby-Friendly facility by the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada (BCC), each center must:

  • Ensure the minimum standard of care in the BCC Baby-Friendly Implementation Guideline
  • Maintain and monitor practices
  • Complete an external assessment and evaluation by an BCC assessor

In October 2011, West Winds Primary Health Centre received the first Baby-Friendly designation in the Province of Saskatchewan. Re-designation was obtained in 2016 and 2022.

In 2019, the Regina General Hospital and Prince Albert Victoria Hospital began participation in the National BFI Quality Improvement Collaborative. This collaborative is over a five year period and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is pursuing Baby-Friendly standards of care. The team is participating in the BCC Coach-Mentor program, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

 

Health care facilities within the Saskatchewan Health Authority follow the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes to ensure:

  • Families are protected from inappropriate marketing and advertising of infant formula and products.
  • Safe and adequate nutrition for infants.
  • Protection and promotion of breast/chest feeding.
  • The proper use of breast-milk substitutes (formula) when necessary.
  • That no donations, advertisement, or providing free samples of breast-milk substitutes (formula) occurs.

Baby-Friendly Spaces

Saskatchewan Health Authority is committed to supporting baby-friendly spaces in Saskatchewan communities. Community and business organizations can become a Baby-Friendly Space and support the goal of supporting families to feed their infants and children any way and anywhere.

Promoting, protecting, and supporting breast/chest feeding takes an entire community. This helps to ensure feeding in public is supported and assists to improve food security. Breast/chest feeding is a human right and protected by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.

We welcome businesses and organizations to use the Baby-Friendly Spaces toolkit to create a welcoming, baby-friendly space for all families. The toolkit includes:

If you require further support in your community, please email a Baby-Friendly Spaces representative at babyfriendlyspaces@saskhealthauthority.ca and indicate your location in the message.

 

Downloadable Resources

Sources of Medical Information