The Seven Steps for the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding in Community Health Care Settings:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff.
2. Train all staff involved in the care of mothers and babies in the skills necessary to implement the policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Support mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding.
5. Encourage exclusive and continued breastfeeding, with appropriately-timed introduction of complementary foods.
6. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for breastfeeding families.
7. Promote co-operation between healthcare staff, breastfeeding support groups and the local community.

UNICEF and WHO have not issued yet an official list of steps for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in community health care settings, though criteria for developing such steps and examples are given in the new package for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (UNICEF/WHO, 2006b). The EU countries that have started to implement Baby Friendly community initiatives use adaptations of the above Seven Steps, first developed by UNICEF in UK.