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 to ensure the safety of the baby Read more
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 deaths in the first 6 days after Read more
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 served to (a) debunk the conclusions of Read more
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 were “Ever Breastfed” in the US grew Read more
Breastfeeding Care Comes “Full Circle” for Baby-Friendly Pioneer
The Story of Boston Medical Center, Bobbi Philipp, and Her First Grandchild... Anyone who knows Bobbi Philipp knows she is a tireless change agent, a never-say-never advocate for patients, and one of the pioneers and foremost Read more
What SHOULD Happen with a Screaming Baby in the Middle of Night
A Case Study from LA County... It is one of the most challenging and misunderstood moments for hospital staff: what to do when a mother calls for help in the middle of the night with a Read more
Statement About the Infant-Driven Feeding® Training Program
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. (BFUSA) has received numerous inquiries from Baby-Friendly designated facilities with NICU’s about the Infant-Driven Feeding® training program particularly designed for NICU staff. Specifically, we have been asked to weigh in on potential conflicts Read more
Let’s Talk about Clinical Standards and Clinical Judgment
Welcome to World Breastfeeding Week! As I write this, there are 576 Baby-Friendly designated facilities in this country. This seemed unattainable when I joined Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) almost ten years ago. In a few short years, Read more
Study Correlates Baby-Friendly Care with Improved Breastfeeding Rates
In a study published in Breastfeeding Medicine, Jung et al. examine breastfeeding outcomes among WIC participants in Los Angeles County (LAC) and their relationships with Baby-Friendly practices. This study is important because, as is the case Read more
Third Time’s a Charm for Mother Seeking “Baby-Friendly” Experience
Prompted by a question on a Facebook post about whether her hospital was Baby-Friendly, Janet McKay replied that her first two children “were born in a non-baby friendly hospital 😔,” but the facility where her third Read more
The Ten Steps: Passed the Tipping Point and Moving Forward
(By Trish MacEnroe) Few social change initiatives have matched the scale, complexity and success of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). Launched in 1991 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Read more
Celebrating Evergreen Hospital, Baby-Friendly Trailblazers
The year was 1992. The WHO and UNICEF had launched the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) just the year before and there was not yet an accreditation authority established for the initiative in the United States. But Read more
Update on the Revised BFHI Guidance (Continued)
Dear Colleagues, It’s been a year since we updated you on our plans for implementing the revised guidance for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) provided by the WHO and UNICEF. At that time, we said that Read more
Statement from Trish MacEnroe: Celebrating Black History Month
As some people know, I took an extended break from work in December and January. This much-needed pause gave me the chance to re-energize and reflect on the pride I feel for all that we’ve accomplished Read more
Baby-Friendly Practices Help Reduce Racial Gaps in US South
One of the most confounding issues facing breastfeeding advocates in recent years has been the significant differences in breastfeeding rates between African American and white babies. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Read more
Fact vs. FIB: The Truth About Attrition
As we said in a series of posts last year, Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) believes we owe it to the public and to the hospitals that have worked so hard to earn the Baby-Friendly designation to call Read more
CDC Maps Widespread Baby-Friendly Growth
Last month, AHRQ released the results of its systematic review of breastfeeding programs and policies, which concludes that the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is associated with improved rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. This month, the Baby-Friendly Read more
Fact Vs. Fiction: Calling Out a Misleading FIB, Part 2
We at Baby-Friendly USA believe it is our responsibility to continue calling out misinformation publicized about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). We owe it to the public and we owe it to the hospitals who have Read more
Changing the Breastfeeding Culture in Louisiana: Woman’s Hospital
In 2016, 12.6% of live births in the state of Louisiana occurred in Baby-Friendly hospitals, according to the CDC. Just two years later, that number is 41.6%. In fact, Louisiana is now one the states in the Read more
Updated Tools Posted to the BFUSA Portal
BFUSA has updated and posted several tools in the following phases in the Baby-Friendly USA portal: Development, Dissemination, Designation, Annual Quality Improvement (AQI) and Re-Designation. Please refer to the specific phases’ NOTICES/UPDATES section of the portal Read more
Fact Vs. Fiction: Calling Out a Misleading FIB
One of the BFHI’s principal detractors has based much of its rhetoric on a blatant misinterpretation of a now-outdated ABM protocol. We want everyone to know the facts. The ABM’s 2010 “Clinical Protocol #22: Guidelines for Management Read more
Important Change to the Evaluation Criteria for Step 9, Criterion 9.1.2
BFUSA has decided to reinstate the 2010 criterion for Step 9, Criterion 9.1.2, and will maintain the standard we are currently assessing against for this criterion when we begin using the 2016 Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria (GEC) on Read more
Statement from Trish MacEnroe: Restoring Breastfeeding as a Viable Choice
It’s great to have breastfeeding in the news. The mere fact that we are discussing the importance and challenges of this critical public health issue is encouraging, even if the attention is not always positive. The Read more
AHRQ Review Supports Efficacy of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
Just in time for World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the results of its systematic review of "Breastfeeding Programs and Policies, Breastfeeding Uptake, and Maternal Read more
One Million Babies Born Each Year in Baby-Friendly Designated Facilities
Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) is pleased to announce another significant milestone in our efforts to implement Baby-Friendly practices in hospitals and birthing centers across the country: more than 1 million babies are now born each year in Read more
