University News Last updated 26 July 2011
The effective collaboration between midwifery lecturers, infant feeding co-ordinators, students, clinicians and service users has been recognised by the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.
Birmingham City University has been awarded a Certificate of Commitment for providing high levels of training in breastfeeding to students on its midwifery course. The Certificate is given in recognition of the Midwifery Department, within the Faculty of Health, completing its first step towards gaining international recognition from the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. This recognises that the university is dedicated to implementing best practice standards in breastfeeding training, and is part-way along the road to full Baby Friendly Accreditation.
The Certificate was received by Ann Kingscott (Head of Midwifery Department/Lead Midwife for Education/Supervisor of Midwives), Ros Weston (Senior Midwifery Lecturer) and other members of Birmingham City University’s Baby Friendly Initiative working group on Monday 18 July at the Faculty of Health, City South campus, Edgbaston. Louise Toner (Associate Dean: Business, Innovation, Marketing and Admissions) and Paul Illingworth (Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery) were also both in attendance.
"We decided to work with the Baby Friendly Initiative to ensure a high standard of training in breastfeeding for all student midwives graduating from this course. We are delighted to be working closely together with our practice partners, across all the Trusts in the acute and primary sectors of Birmingham city, since they are also all working towards Baby Friendly Accreditation” said Rosalind Weston, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery.
Ann Kingscott recognises that many women give up breastfeeding before they want to because of difficulties which could have been prevented if skilled help had been on hand. By ensuring that our students are fully trained in how to help a mother breastfeed her child, more women will be able to breastfeed their babies for longer.
Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy as well as allergies and diabetes in childhood. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk of some cancers – although mums might be more interested in hearing that it’s easier, cheaper and simply less hassle than bottle feeding.
The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme which provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for all mothers and babies.
The Baby Friendly University Award was launched in the UK in April 2008 – the first such award anywhere in the world - in order to ensure high levels of training in breastfeeding are incorporated in midwifery and health visitor training courses.
"We are delighted that Birmingham City University has received this award,” said Baby Friendly Initiative Programme Director Sue Ashmore.
“Surveys show us that most mothers want to breastfeed but don’t always get the support they need. Working towards full Baby Friendly Accreditation means that the University is addressing this problem and aiming to ensure more mothers can successfully breastfeed their babies in future.”
The Faculty’s School of Nursing and Midwifery boasts outstanding employability and student satisfaction rates. One hundred per cent of Paediatric Nursing and Midwifery graduates entered employment or further study after completing their course and over 90% of students said they were happy with their programme of study. The School has professional accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) making graduates eligible to register with the NMC. Students are provided with excellent learning & teaching facilities such as a birthing area and a suite of skills and simulation rooms. Students spend up to half the duration of their programme on variety of community and hospital placements to ensure they develop practical knowledge and skills vital to gaining employment.
Furthermore the team have now set up an infant feeding room for students wishing to return to study whilst continuing to breastfeed. Currently the room is sited on the City South campus, however there are plans to expand to each campus in the future.