The Influence of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and Maternity Care Practices on Breastfeeding Outcomes

Abstract

Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched in 1991 to promote breastfeeding through hospital policy. Researchers have reported breastfeeding improvements after hospitals became “Baby-Friendly.” In Hong Kong, the first public hospital was designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital in 2016. Research Aim: To examine the influence of the BFHI on breastfeeding by comparing breastfeeding outcomes in a study cohort recruited before the implementation of the BFHI and a cohort recruited after its implementation. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental interrupted time-series design. Two cohorts of mother-infant pairs ( N = 2369) were recruited immediately postpartum from four public hospitals in Hong Kong and followed up prospectively. Comparisons were made in five of the BFHI steps experienced in both cohorts and the duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding. Results: A higher proportion of participants from the post-implementation cohort breastfed and breastfed exclusively at all follow-up periods. Participants in the pre-BFHI cohort, on average experienced 3.10 ( SD = 1.42) of the BFHI steps, whereas the participants in the post-BFHI cohort experienced 3.59 (1.09) of the BFHI steps. Half of the participants discontinued any breastfeeding by 13 weeks in the pre-BFHI cohort; more than half in the post-BFHI cohort were still breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum ( p < .001). Giving only human milk in the first 48 hr of delivery and not providing pacifiers or bottles were associated with lower risk of not exclusive breastfeeding in both cohorts. Conclusion: Implementation of the BFHI was associated with improvements in breastfeeding practices and outcomes.