Title: Development of a Lactation Clinic in a Baby-Friendly Teaching Hospital
Author: Katalin Sarlai MD, IBCLC, Pal Siklos MD, PhD
Affiliation: St. Stephen Hospital, Budapest, Hungary
Contact: ksarlai@axelero.hu

Abstract:
Background
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been a successful and effective global initiative in the last ten years to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding. St. Stephen Hospital in Budapest has been a baby friendly hospital since 1997. There are more than 2000 babies delivered each year. Although many women start breastfeeding, after hospital discharge there are many problems. Health visitors and district nurses help mothers to solve breastfeeding problems, but their knowledge is not up-to-date in many cases.

Program description
There are only two IBCLCs in Hungary, as the job is not acknowledged yet.
The lactation clinic in our hospital was developed two years ago to support breastfeeding mothers who do not get adequate help from their district nurses and the community.

A telephone hot line is available 24 hours a day, answered by experienced neonatal nurses and lactation assistants. Consulting clinics are run by International Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for mothers from Budapest and surrounding rural areas.

We present our experience with lactation clinics with an analysis of the problems encountered. Lactation clinics run by IBCLCs can become focal points of lactation education in Hungary.