Dubai Health Authority organizes training program for healthcare staff to encourage and support breastfeeding

Dr Fatima Olama, Head of Child Heath Unit, Primary Healthcare Sector at the DHA said the program, which began this month, will take place for one year and will be conducted for two days, every month.

She said that the aim of the program is for medical staff to be well trained so that they can inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding, support mothers to maintain breastfeeding and encourage exclusive and continued breastfeeding as well as guide mothers with appropriately timed introduction of complimentary foods.

She said the participants of the program will get a certification after successful completion of this program.

Dr Al Olama highlighted that breastfeeding has several health benefits for the mother and child and that breastfeeding is known to help prevent babies from developing respiratory illnesses, recurrent ear infections and other health problems. Breastfeeding is also linked to reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

"There are several proven health benefits of breastfeeding to the mother and child. But in order to ensure that more women breastfeed, we need to provide them with support right from the pregnancy stage. Physicians and nurses have an opportunity to emphasize breastfeeding education beginning with preconception visits and continuing through prenatal care, delivery and postpartum care"

She added that encouragement from a physician and other family members is an important factor in the initiation of breastfeeding.

She added that the first breastfeeding training program took place last year, was attended by 50 physicians and nurses from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and that 60% of the participants received a breastfeeding consultant certification at the end of the program.