Breastfeeding, baby friendliness and birth in transition in North Western Russia: a study of women's perceptions of the care they receive when giving birth in six maternity homes in the cities of Archangelsk and Murmansk, 1999

Abstract

It was found that the project definitely had had an impact; feeding practices at the BFH were markedly closer to the international BFHI recommendations than at the NBFH. BFH mothers, however, reported suffering from breastfeeding problems just as often or more so than NBFH mothers. Possible explanations are discussed; it is concluded that this cross-sectional study may depict a transitory situation in the BFH. At the two hospitals not yet assessed, although staff felt that they had made profound changes, they may not yet have grasped the full extent and stringency of the changes required. The study shows that, despite good will, some practical details had not yet been worked out, resulting in a mixed outcome for the mothers. There was no noticeable carry-over of the attitudes and basic ideas of the project into obstetric care, either in the BFH or in the NBFH, so changes in this area may require separate strategies.