There is still a long way to go to
improve maternity care practices to support exclusive breastfeeding, however, we are so very lucky to live in such a breastfeeding supportive community.
Participating facilities receive individualized benchmark reports detailing the facility's quality practice rank scores for performance measures in seven
maternity care practice domains.
However, women who reported experiencing Ten
Step maternity care practices were more likely to report that they were able to meet their personal breastfeeding goals, even when adjusting for other factors.
The findings suggest that the implementation
of maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding vary based on the racial composition of the area, which means women living in areas with higher percentages of blacks might have less access to these services.
While in New Orleans, Lauren worked for the Louisiana Department of Health on statewide initiatives to improve
maternity care practices in hospitals and infant health outcomes.
The U.S. Surgeon General has identified 20 evidence - based actions that are needed to support breastfeeding, including establishing worksite policies and programs,
implementing maternity care practices in hospitals and birthing facilities, reducing marketing of infant formula, and ensuring access to services provided by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).
They advocate for women's rights in childbirth and for babies» rights to healthy birth experiences, while providing the best evidence on
safe maternity care practices.
[12] In accordance with Step 3 (prenatal education), the role of the OB is vital in providing breastfeeding education and information
about maternity care practices to support breastfeeding.
We need improved workplace accomodations,
imporved maternity care practices, and improved consumer protections regarding infant formula labeling and marketing claims.
The differences among study findings are partly explained by differences in study designs, assessment tools, study populations (13),
usual maternity care practices and caregiver attitudes (14 - 16).
Typical maternity care today has departed so far from physiology that in many cases it causes more harm than good, as borne out by Dr. Buckley's discussions throughout the book of the impact (i.e., unintended consequences) of
common maternity care practices on hormonal physiology and mother - baby outcomes.
CDC's national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC)
assesses maternity care practices and provides feedback to encourage hospitals to make improvements that better support breastfeeding.
Further research is needed on barriers to implementing recommended practices in these areas, on whether
poorer maternity care practices are linked to lower breastfeeding rates in these areas, and on evaluating other factors that might be contributing to these disparities.
Angela's vaginal birth after cesarean section story details the sad reality that
until maternity care practices change, we must take control of our birthings by bringing the evidence to the professionals.
In this article, evidence -
based maternity care practices are discussed with an emphasis on the practices that increase safety for mother and baby, and what pregnant women need to know in order to have safe, healthy births is described.
A set
of maternity care practices has been identified that, when implemented together, results in better breastfeeding outcomes.The Baby - Friendly Hospital Initiative established by WHO and UNICEF in 1991 includes these maternity practices, which are known as the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
CDC data indicate that on average, U.S. hospitals only scored a 79 out of 100 possible points on an overall measure of breastfeeding - supportive
maternity care practices.
There are also racial disparities in access to
maternity care practices that support breastfeeding.
Healthiest Weight Florida is partnering with 27 hospitals in 15 counties to enhance hospital
maternity care practices that support and promote breastfeeding.
Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding Mothers The U.S. Surgeon General encourages the health - care sector to help make breastfeeding easier for moms, beginning with ensuring that
maternity care practices are fully supportive of breastfeeding.
Use CDC's Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey customized reports to improve
maternity care practices that support breastfeeding.
State health departments can use mPINC data to work together with partner agencies, organizations, policy makers, and health professionals to improve evidence - based
maternity care practices and policies at all of their hospitals statewide.
The focus of this new initiative will be on providing tools, materials, and resources to build a sustainable, hospital - specific training plan aimed at improving knowledge and skills on evidence - based
maternity care practices.
Watch this video to learn more about the importance of
maternity care practices and how the mPINC survey can help.
The National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) has taken its years of experience in helping hospitals improve
maternity care practices to support breastfeeding and packaged the key strategies into a series of virtual coaching programs for healthcare professionals.
CDC currently is funding a project that addresses the need for quality improvement in
maternity care practices.
Dissemination of these individualized reports, as well as dissemination of surveillance data from the mPINC survey, including state reports § and key publications (13), might have contributed to these improvements in
maternity care practices.
These data were analyzed for 10 mPINC indicators for recommended
maternity care practices * from the World Health Organization / United Nations Children's Fund's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (5).
The survey is sent to the person at each facility most knowledgeable about the facility's
maternity care practices and policies.
Maternity care practices that support breastfeeding: CDC efforts to encourage quality improvement.
Despite substantial improvement, as of 2013, implementation of several of
these maternity care practices and policies was far from optimal.
The proposal includes support for BFHI designation as a key strategy for
maternity care practice improvement, however it continues to be optional.