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 caseRead 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 thirdRead 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. ButRead 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 thatRead 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 accomplishedRead 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 callRead 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-FriendlyRead 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 haveRead 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 theRead 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 portalRead 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 ManagementRead 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) onRead 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. TheRead 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 MaternalRead 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 inRead more
Baby-Friendly Changing Lives in Rural Mississippi
Sunflower County, Mississippi, is not a place where one would expect to see rapid social change. Home to roughly 30,000 people in rural Mississippi, it is steeped in its heritage and traditions. Yet, in the pastRead more
Statement from Trish MacEnroe Regarding Revised BFHI Guidance
Dear Colleagues, By now I expect you have heard the news that, after several months of thoughtful and productive discussion, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have released the revised implementation guidance for theRead more
Statement from BFUSA and Others Regarding Revised BFHI Guidance
Dear Colleagues, After months of thoughtful and productive discussion with our five global breastfeeding promotion organizations, on April 11, 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released the final version ofRead more
Statement from Trish MacEnroe Celebrating 500 Baby-Friendly Designated Facilities
Dear Colleagues, It gives me great pleasure to inform you that we have reached an important milestone: 500 Baby-Friendly designated facilities in the United States!! When I first joined Baby-Friendly USA in 2010, there were lessRead more
Celebrating 500 Baby-Friendly Designated Facilities in the United States
Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA) is pleased to announce that, for the first time ever, more than 500 hospitals/birthing centers are designated as Baby-Friendly in the United States. This important milestone indicates widespread recognition for Baby-Friendly practices inRead more
Mothers of Memphis: Celebrating Breastfeeding during Black History Month
African Americans have the lowest rates of breastfeeding among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Yet, despite longstanding taboos, more and more black women are proudly nursing their children and helping to reclaim deep-rooted culturalRead more
JAMA-Pediatrics Article Discredited as “Based on a False Claim”
An August 2016 article in JAMA-Pediatrics questioned the safety of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and the practice of mothers and infants remaining together throughout the hospital stay. After more than a year of damaging public debate,Read more
