Hi, all:

I have been of no mail for a long time so I will give a brief reintroduction
first.

I am a neonatologist and neuropediatrician in a medical center in Taiwan. I
with some colleagues are promoting breastfeeding for about 7 years. My
personal experience in breastfeeding was bad. I mixed fed my first daughter
for one month at 9 years ago. My second daughter was exclusive breastfed for
one month only because my returning to work and lack of support at 7 years
ago. According to the latest study done in 1996, the exclusive breastfeeding
rate at one month was only "5%" and mixed feeding rate was around 40%. Most
of the hospital practices regarding breastfeeding are poor, but there are
some changes now.

Nine years ago, every baby was fed on schedule and top up bottle feeding was
given to every breastfed baby in my hospital. Now, we encourage mothers to
room-in 24 hours with their babies. We encourage early contact immediately
after delivery though it is not a routine yet. We encourge mothers to
breastfeed their babies as frequent as babies want. We don't give babies
bottle only if the mothers insist on using it. THe exclusive breastfeeding
rate is around 70-80% in hospital but half of them wean their babies withing
one month. There are lots of work need to be done. The problem in my
hospital comes from the poor knowledge of the mothers and families. In
Chinese culture, most of the mothers and families want to take complete rest
during the first postpartum month. They think that breastfeeding will waste
the energe of the mother and they think that our hospital does not take care
of the wellfare of the mother. We have to let more parents come to our
prenatal class(Only one tenth of the mothers attend the prenatal class due
to inconvience). I also note that there are mothers earger to breastfeed
their babies but receive no support from the hospitals. I with people from
the Mother and Child Health Institue are spreading the concept of "mother
baby friendly hospital" to the health workers in these 2-3 years. There are
some hospitals intrested in it. At the present time, for the sister-in-law
of Amy,I will suggest her to come to my hospital for the delivery.

In the last two week, the first 40 hours training course in breastfeeding
consuelling was held in my hospital. I had invited Gabrielle Palmer as our
director. Using the material from WHO, we had trained  4 brillant trainers
and another 24 participants from all over the Taiwan also got the update
knowldge and skills in helping mothers to breastfeed. We hope such training
course will keep on going in every area in Taiwan. Education of the health
workers is the most important goal. I had given a lecture about
breastfeeding in a medical colleague last year and this year they are asking
me to give the lecture again. I had also suggested the 4 trainers to find
out the opportunity in giving lecutre to students of health workers. In the
same time, we are trying to persuade our minister of Department of Health of
our government to let him know the importance of breastfeeding to our health
system. I am trying to give him some solid date of breastfeeding and the
cost of health. Any input of this issue will be very appreciated.

We have to make breastfeeding fashion, modern and attractive to the parents.
One female politicians is very interested in this and she offers to help us
in making video for the media. We have no law about the Code. Gabrielle had
seen the marketing of those companies here and she said those companies
wouldn't dare to do the same thing in England, Norway or Sweden. Poor
Taiwanese!!! :(

Anyway, we are really trying hard to change our community. Need all your
support.
Chao-Huei
Chao-Huei Chen, M.D. < [log in to unmask]>
mailing address:
160, sec 3, Chung-Kang Rd, Department of Pediatrics,
Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan
Tel 886 4 3592525-5909, 5971 Fax 886 4 4619990