The Baby-Friendly Initiative in Spain

Abstract

The Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI-Spain) was founded in 1995 by members of key professional associations (pediatricians, midwives, obstetricians, and nurses) and some mother-to-mother support groups. The United Nations International Children’s Fund was instrumental in supporting the establishment of BFI-Spain as a not-for-profit organization. In 2007, the need for change was identified. A detailed analysis of BFI-Spain identified its main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A new strategic plan was devised that included the adoption of a staged accreditation system, a new website, expanding the initiative into the community, consolidating working teams to distribute tasks and responsibilities, and trying to involve the national health authorities. This article describes the analysis that was undertaken, the strategies implemented, and some of the outcomes observed 4 years later. The aim of the article is to support BFI teams in other countries who might be facing similar challenges.