title: Breastfeeding care in Ohio hospitals: a gap between research and practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess current breastfeeding care in Ohio hospitals and compare that care to research-based principles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ohio hospitals that provide maternity care.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 141 Ohio hospitals that provide maternity care were invited to participate. One-hundred sixteen (83%) hospitals returned usable surveys completed by obstetric nurse managers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 38-item questionnaire provided data on hospital demographics and information regarding the care of breastfeeding mother-infant dyads.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Research-based practices common in Ohio's hospitals include demand feeding, breastfeeding education, and breastfeeding as the initial neonatal feeding. Common non-research-based practices include supplemental fluid administration, postpartum nipple treatments, mandatory initial nursery stays, limited sucking time, restricted maternal-infant contact, distribution of formula packs, minimal follow-up care, and the suspension of breastfeeding for hyperbilirubinemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite positive changes in perinatal care, a number of non-research-based practices persist in Ohio hospitals for the care of the breastfeeding mother-infant dyad.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Lowe
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare / Q000592:standards; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000592:standards*; D009820:Ohio; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires