Health Care
Nearly all births in the United States occur in hospital settings,1 but hospital practices and policies in maternity settings can undermine maternal and infant health by creating barriers to supporting a mother's decision to breastfeed. National data from the ongoing CDC survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) indicate that barriers to breastfeeding are widespread during labor, delivery, and postpartum care, as well as in hospital discharge planning.2 Results of the 2009 mPINC survey showed that, on average, U.S. hospitals scored only 65 out of a possible 100 points on an overall measure of breastfeeding-related maternity care.Results of the 2009 mPINC survey showed that, on average, U.S. hospitals scored only 65 out of a possible 100 points on an overall measure of breastfeeding-related maternity care.2
How Health Care Can Support Breastfeeding
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Hospitals can
Doctors and nurses can
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Related Resources
References
- Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Ventura SJ. Births: preliminary data for 2007. National Vital Statistics Reports 2009;57(12):1–23. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf. Accessed July 8, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/ mpinc/index.htm. Accessed July 8, 2010.
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