The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Increases Breastfeeding Rates in a US Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Breastfeeding Support in Spanish Neonatal Intensive Care Units and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

“…Some individual centers [18][19][20][21] previously reported an increase in breastfeeding rates at discharge from NICUs after BFHI accreditation of their maternity services. However, they did not specify which measures made the difference.…”

“…However, they did not specify which measures made the difference. Merewood et al 18 examined the factors that may have had an effect on this increase in the NICU and concluded that, of the Ten Steps in maternity services, steps 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10 were decisive. Nevertheless, in a systematic review, Renfrew et al 9 recommended further research to evaluate the effect of BFHI accreditation of the maternity wards on NICUs.…”

“…Previous studies [18][19][20][21] indicated that BFHI accreditation of maternity services increases breastfeeding rates at discharge from the NICU. However, no information exists regarding which breastfeeding promotion measures in the NICUs improve with the BFHI accreditation of the maternity wards.…”

Hospital Practices that Increase Breastfeeding Duration: Results from a Population‐Based Study

“…It is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund to strengthen lactation promotion and to support and recognize hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for lactation. The BFHI defines guidelines that effectively increase breastfeeding initiation (6)(7)(8)(9) and duration (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Hospitals and birthing centers that achieve the BFHI criteria are given the designation ''Baby-Friendly Hospital''; worldwide, more than 18,000 maternity facilities are so designated.…”

Improved exclusive breastfeeding rates in preterm infants after a neonatal nurse training program focusing on six breastfeeding-supportive clinical practices

“…They also found a dose-response relationship between the number of implemented BFHI steps and early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge [ 36 ]. Also, breastfeeding (and breastmilk feeding) rates in NICUs has formerly been found to increase by implementing multicomponent breastfeeding programs in NICUs or by implementing BFHI in the maternity wards [ 37 – 39 ]. The improved breastfeeding rates in our study are additionally supported by a meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials which found positive effect of breastfeeding promoting interventions on exclusive breastfeeding rates up to six months age, especially the multicomponent BFHI, other combined interventions, and interventions involving healthcare professionals [ 40 ].…”