NZQA registered unit standard
26801 version 2
Page 1 of 4
Title
Describe the benefits of breastfeeding, available support services,
and Baby Friendly Initiatives
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
3
This unit standard is intended primarily for community based
carers supporting mothers with newborn babies, who may
include midwives, antenatal specialists, and primary healthcare
practitioners.
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe: the
benefits of breastfeeding; the support services available to
breastfeeding mothers and their family/whānau; and the
underlying principles, scope, and goals of the WHO/UNICEF
Baby Friendly Initiatives (BFI).
Classification
Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Whānau Ora and
Community Support
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
Codes and standards relevant to this unit standard are:
Code of Practice for Health Workers, available at
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/breastmilksubstitutemarketingcodehealthworkers-online;
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996;
NZS 8134.0:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (general) Standard;
NZS 8134.1:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (core) Standards;
NZS 8134.3:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (infection prevention and control) Standards;
NZS 8158:2003 Home and Community Support Sector Standard.
2
References relevant to this unit standard are:
Ministry of Health. (2007). Implementing and monitoring the International Code of
Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: The Code in New Zealand.
Wellington: Ministry of Health; available at
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/breastmilksubstitutemarketingcode;
World Health Organization (WHO). (1981). International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Geneva: WHO; available at
http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
3
26801 version 2
Page 2 of 4
Definitions
Baby Friendly Initiatives (BFI) refer to the WHO and UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital
Initiative (BFHI) and Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI). The BFHI promotes,
protects, and supports breastfeeding through the embedded The Ten Steps to
Successful Breastfeeding as outlined by UNICEF/WHO. The BFCI, on the other
hand is based on, and incorporates, The Seven Point Plan ‘for the protection,
promotion and support of breastfeeding in the community’. For women who choose
not to, or who are unable to, breastfeed Baby Friendly Initiatives and BFCI primary
healthcare practitioners ensure that they are supported in their decision and provided
with unbiased information and advice. Both Initiatives are available at
http://www.babyfriendly.org.nz/;
BFCI refers to the Baby Friendly Community Initiative adapted from the BFHI for
specific application in the community. The BFCI is aimed at primary healthcare
practitioners in the community, and sets out practices that aim to protect, promote,
and support mothers to initiate and continue breastfeeding;
BFHI refers to the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, the World Health Organization’s
primary intervention strategy for strengthening the capacity of national health
systems to protect and support breastfeeding;
Promote breastfeeding refers to promoting the benefits of breastfeeding to the
broader health sector and the community;
Protect breastfeeding refers to a process that enables all women to make informed
decisions about infant feeding, free from the influence of formula or related industry
marketing practices; and whereby their right to breastfeed anytime, anywhere, is
protected;
Support breastfeeding refers to the process whereby women receive information and
support from all sectors of the community to overcome any barriers to breastfeeding
that they may experience or perceive;
The Seven Point Plan refers to The Seven Point Plan for Baby Friendly Community
Services whereby primary healthcare practitioners in the community are encouraged
to adopt practices that aim to protect, promote, and support mothers to initiate and
continue breastfeeding;
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding refers to a set of ‘best practice’
guidelines for facilities providing maternity services and care for newborn infants, first
published in a joint WHO/UNICEF statement in 1989 – Protecting, promoting and
supporting breastfeeding: The special role of maternity services.
UNICEF refers to United Nations Children’s Fund (formerly United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund).
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe the benefits of breastfeeding.
Range
may include but is not limited to – health and nutrition, cost, convenience,
immunity.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26801 version 2
Page 3 of 4
Evidence requirements
1.1
Benefits of breastfeeding are described for mothers, babies, family/whānau, and
the community.
Range
at least one benefit for each of mothers, babies, family/whānau,
and the community.
Outcome 2
Describe the support services available to breastfeeding mothers and their family/whānau.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Support services are described in terms of their role in assisting breastfeeding
mothers and their family/whānau.
Range
at least two of – lead maternity carers, La Leche League, General
Practitioner, lactation consultant, Plunket Society, Well
Child/Tamariki Ora.
Outcome 3
Describe the underlying principles, scope, and goals of the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly
Initiatives (BFI).
Evidence requirements
3.1
The BFI are described in terms of their contribution to protecting, promoting,
and supporting breastfeeding in New Zealand.
Range
history, application.
3.2
The BFI are described in relation to the position outlined in the BFI on women
who choose not to, or who are unable to, breastfeed.
3.3
The rationale for the development of the BFHI is described in terms of its
intended contribution to the health sector.
3.4
The goal of the BFHI to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding is
described in terms of The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
3.5
The goal of the BFCI to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding is
described in terms of The Seven Point Plan.
Planned review date
31 December 2015
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
26801 version 2
Page 4 of 4
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
19 November 2010
31 December 2012
Revision
2
8 December 2011
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0024
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Community Support Services ITO Limited, info@careerforce.org.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016