Course Overview:
This course equips health workers with knowledge and competency-based skills to protect and promote breastfeeding in their facilities, and support breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Participants will strengthen counseling skills, clinical decision-making, and the management of common and special infant feeding situations to improve maternal and child health outcomes and quality of care.
Course modality:
Self-learning (self-paced)
Course duration:
20 hours
OVERVIEW
The BFHI Online Course is designed to equip health professionals working with pregnant women, mothers, and newborns with the foundational skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in accordance with the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. This self-paced course is based on the original face-to-face training curriculum and adapted to an engaging, flexible online learning experience hosted on the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health.
PURPOSE
To provide health workers with updated, competency-based training on breastfeeding protection and support through a multimedia learning journey that enhances clinical practice, communication skills, and decision-making related to infant and young child feeding.
COMPETENCIES
This course provides opportunities for the development of the following competencies:
- Demonstrate effective communication and counseling skills when interacting with pregnant women mothers and families.
- Apply knowledge of optimal breastfeeding practices and the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
- Provide practical support to mothers initiating and maintaining breastfeeding.
- Address common breastfeeding difficulties with evidence-based solutions.
- Understand critical management procedures for special cases and emergencies.
- Support mothers in expressing and storing breastmilk, including in special situations such as premature birth.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Identify key elements of effective counseling and demonstrate empathetic listening and supportive communication.
- Explain the importance of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for infant and maternal health.
- Describe correct positioning and attachment techniques.
- Recognize and manage common breastfeeding difficulties (e.g., engorgement, sore nipples, low milk supply).
- Understand how to manage relactation, infant feeding in emergencies, and referrals to other health services when needed.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Doctors, nurses, midwives, physicians, and other health professionals working in maternity wards or who provide prenatal and postnatal care.
WORKLOAD
The course is self-paced and consists of four modules with a total duration of 20 hours.
MODULE STRUCTURE
Module 1: Counseling Skills Foundations
Module 2: Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Practices (Basics)
Module 3: Breastfeeding Support
Module 4: Critical Management Procedures
ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
Competency tests are used in each module to evaluate understanding and application.
Participants will earn a completion certificate after successfully concluding all the modules and answering at least 70% of the Final Evaluation questions correctly.
After meeting the previous requirements and completing the Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH) Quality Survey, participants will be able to download their course completion certificate issued by the Pan American Health Organization.