Upholding the Highest Standards of Infant Feeding Care
As the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States, Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) is responsible for coordinating and conducting all activities necessary to confer the prestigious Baby-Friendly® designation and ensure the widespread adoption of the BFHI in the US. We do this by:
- Refining and upholding the standards/criteria for successfully implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in the US;
- Assessing and accrediting birthing facilities that meet those standards and follow the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes; and
- Generating widespread understanding of and enthusiasm for best practice infant feeding care.
Upholding the Highest Standards of Infant Feeding Care.
As the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States, Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) is responsible for coordinating and conducting all activities necessary to confer the prestigious Baby-Friendly® designation and ensure the widespread adoption of the BFHI in the US. We do this by:
- Refining and upholding the standards/criteria for successfully implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in the US
- Assessing and accrediting birthing facilities that meet those standards and follow the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
- Generating widespread understanding of and enthusiasm for best practice infant feeding care
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What’s New
Important Information – Just in Time for World Breastfeeding Week
Welcome to World Breastfeeding Week! World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1 - 7 to commemorate the Innocenti Declaration. This milestone document was signed in August 1990 by...
Update on BFUSA Search for New CEO
Dear Colleagues, As we announced in May, Baby-Friendly USA CEO Trish MacEnroe will be retiring at the end of this calendar year. The BFUSA Board is conducting a national search to...
New Study: In-Hospital Formula Feeding Linked to Earlier Weaning
An important new study in the journal Pediatrics has found that in-hospital formula feeding is linked to earlier weaning from breastfeeding, with infants exposed to formula in the hospital...
BFUSA Initiates Search for New CEO
An Important Announcement from Baby-Friendly USA Dear Colleagues, Trish MacEnroe has informed the Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) Board of Directors that, after more than ten years as the Executive Director/CEO of...
Now More Than Ever, Baby-Friendly Facilities Must Protect Parents from Commercial Interests
Dear Colleagues, On March 26, BFUSA announced that, in order to support facilities in assisting mothers to access adequate nutrition for their babies during the COVID-19 crisis, we would relax...
Coronavirus Update #2
The entire team at Baby-Friendly USA sends our deepest gratitude to all healthcare providers, staff and first responders for the heroic work you are doing to provide incredible care...
Coronavirus Update
This message contains important information regarding issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our thoughts are with all hospital personnel, specifically those providing direct care to patients. We are also...
Revised Guidance About the Infant-Driven Feeding Training Program
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New Year's Resolutions
New Year’s Greetings from Baby-Friendly USA! 2020 will be a very important year for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the US. In December, BFUSA released Interim Guidelines and Evaluation...
There Are Now More than 600 Baby-Friendly Designated Facilities in the US!
Mississippi Leads the Way... The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has reached another important milestone: over 600 birthing facilities are now Baby-Friendly designated in the US, representing more than 28% of...
Baby-Friendly USA Releases Interim Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria
BFUSA is pleased to announce that we have released Interim Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria (GEC) for assessments taking place between February 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022. The Interim Guidelines...
What SHOULD Happen When Baby Does Not Get Enough Milk from Mom
It is perhaps the most important and complex question for hospital staff and medical professionals caring for newborn babies with mothers wishing to breastfeed: what are the proper procedures...
New Study Shows Baby-Friendly Practices Associated with Decreased Rates of Early Infant Deaths
A new study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics shows increased rates of implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) are associated with decreased rates of infant...
Fact vs. FIB: Follow-Up
Earlier this week, we published an article showing that higher Baby-Friendly penetration rates are clearly associated with higher breastfeeding initiation rates across the country and across time. This finding...
Fact vs. FIB: The Impact of Baby-Friendly on Breastfeeding Initiation Rates
From 2007-2015, the percent of live births occurring in Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in the US increased from 1.8% to 11.5%. During the same period, the percent of babies who...
Comments from the Front Line
“Here in West Virginia, we only have three Baby-Friendly certified hospitals. I’ll be going to one of them.”
“The Baby-Friendly experience has really helped us drive our evidence-based practice and assure our patients that we are practicing to the highest standards. We’re affecting not only the health of this generation, but generations to come. It’s very exciting and empowering.”
“We have some serious healthcare issues in our state and we knew increased breastfeeding could have a positive impact in these areas. So, our management made the bold and important decision that we were going to encourage a commitment to the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.”
“The moment I tried it, she latched on, no problem. It’s like she knew what she wanted. So that’s how I ended up breastfeeding. Everything I needed to know about breastfeeding, they helped me 100 percent. I’m glad I did it because there’s a lot of benefits from it.”
“The delivery setting is vital to a good start in breastfeeding. Since breastfeeding improves health in so many ways, the impact of this effort on our population’s health is yet to be fully appreciated.”
“Baby-Friendly practices are now mainstream and have achieved wide enough coverage to have a significant impact on breastfeeding rates across the US.”
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