Hospitals Are Encouraging Breastfeeding

The percentage of USA hospitals using a majority of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the global standard for hospital care to support breastfeeding, increased from approximately 29 percent in 2007 to 54 percent in 2013, a almost two-fold increase over six years.

Doctors and other providers can also help hospitals write policies that encourage mothers to breastfeed, according to the Medscape article.

When it comes to breastfeeding, how hospital staff approach a new mom in the hours and days after her baby is born can make a big difference in whether or not breastfeeding begins and for how long it continues, said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden at a press briefing today that highlighted the results of the CDC’s Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care Survey.

Additionally, the report found that early initiation of breastfeeding increased from 44% in 2007 to 65% in 2013.

Eighty percent of babies start out being breastfed, but 60% of mothers give up breastfeeding sooner than they would like to.

“We’re seeing more progress than we thought we’d see”, he added, “but we do have much more progress to make”.

Further support also needs to be improved; in 2013, only 32% of hospitals gave enough additional support for breastfeeding mothers when they left the hospital. One other necessary step that the hospital should undertake is to offer mothers info and referrals about assist teams upon discharge. And only about the same number limit the amount of free formula that is given to mothers when they leave the hospital.

Aside from the fact that breastfeeding saves money – for both mother and hospital – there are many health benefits associated with it. Breastfed babies have lower risks for ear, respiratory, stomach and intestinal infections, and lower risks for asthma, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Although it’s the most natural way to feed babies, and there is a scientific consensus on the benefits of breastfeeding, it can be extremely hard for a few mothers. Mothers who breastfeed also experience a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer. More than 2 billion USA dollars in yearly medical costs for children could be saved if breastfeeding recommendations were met in the country, said the CDC.

For more information about CDC’s work to improve hospital practices to support breastfeeding, visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF established the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), the core of which is the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Vital Signs is a CDC report that appears on the first Tuesday of the month as part of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.