OBJECTIVE Despite governmental initiatives that control, discourage and even prohibit the divulgation of the usage of dummies and pacifiers in maternity wards, the frequency of pacifier use by Brazilian children is still high. In light of this phenomenon, the aim of the present study was to investigate the social representations of the pacifier constructed by mothers whose children used pacifie...

Public policy and programs for older adults traditionally have focused on the delivery of benefits to targeted individuals. Over the past decade, age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) have developed as a paradigm shift in contrast to this predominant focus. AFCIs engage stakeholders from multiple sectors within a typically local geographic area to make social and/or physical environments m...

Abstract Age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) as interventions systematically cultivate inter-organizational partnerships toward making policies, systems, and environments more supportive of healthy aging, aging in community, equity. Building from a multi-year, university-community partnership to spur the development AFCIs New Jersey, we drew on social network theory research methods exam...

BACKGROUND Improving health-care outcomes for people living with dementia when they are admitted to hospital is a policy priority. Dementia friendly interventions in health care promote inclusion of patients and carers in decision-making and adapt practices and environments to be appropriate to the needs of people with cognitive impairment. While there has been a wealth of activity, the number ...

International health authorities recommend skin-to-skin care (SSC) at birth and that breastfeeding should be started as soon possible, within the first hour after birth. This article aimed to review benefits of initiation for mothers newborns, global status initiation, determinants breastfe- eding SSC, interventions improve initiation. The positive effects result from contact between baby mothe...

Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched in 1989 by World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund for the promotion of breastfeeding. This program was implemented in many departments of gynecology and obstetrics and resulted in reduced malnutrition, infection, morbidity and mortality in children. This program has introduced 10 specific steps to support s...

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to provide an economic assessment of the incremental costs associated with obtaining the World Health Organization and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund designation as a Infant-Friendly hospital. We hypothesized that baby-friendly hospitals will have higher costs than similar non-baby-friendly hospitals. METHODS Data from the 2...

OBJECTIVES In Switzerland, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) proposed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was introduced in 1993 to promote breastfeeding nationwide. This study reports results of a national study of the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding in 2003 throughout Switzerland and analyzes the influence of compliance with UNICEF guidelines of the hospital whe...