Breast-feeding policies and routines among Arizona hospitals and nursery staff: results and implications of a descriptive study.
In 1988, Arizona's 61 hospitals providing obstetrical services were canvased with regard to hospital routines that favor either breast-feeding or bottle-feeding. Forty-five hospitals provided responses that were used in the survey. Practices favoring breast-feeding, which were reported by a majority of the hospitals (more than 50%), were demand feeding, staff assessment for "latch-on" (the action of nipple presentation and sucking initiation) and positioning, "rooming-in" (the practice of minimal mother-infant separation), and information about follow-up support services. Hospital practices suggested to promote bottle-feeding were the provision of pacifiers and supplemental water or glucose, issuance of formula packs at discharge, and a first feed of sterile water. A positive significant relationship was identified for policies advocating breast-feeding and the prevalence of breast-feeding encouragement from professional staff. Of 44 respondents, 41 indicated that their hospital's policies endorse breast-feeding as the ideal method of feeding healthy newborns. Hospital staff perceived that they encourage mothers to breast-feed and offer support to those who initiate breast-feeding. On the basis of this information, we conclude that dietetics practitioners should evaluate current breast-feeding practices and integrate policies supportive of breast-feeding into the health care system.
Strembel
S
S
Maricopa Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, Phoenix, AZ 85006.
Sass
S
S
Cole
G
G
Hartner
J
J
Fischer
C
C
D001130:Arizona; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009725:Nurseries, Hospital / Q000639:trends*; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital / Q000639:trends*