BabyFriendlyUSA lists the 54 Baby-Friendly Hospitals and Birth Centers in the United States as of July 2006. What is a Baby-Friendly Hospital? It is a hospital or birthing center who follows The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding, such as informing all pregnant women about the benefits of breastfeeding and helping to initiate breastfeeding within an hour after birth. I was surprised to see an Army hospital in Germany and several California hospitals on the list, but none from Texas, and none from my home state of Missouri.
Researchers at Boston Medical Center, the nation's 22nd Baby-Friendly hospital, have reported that during the implementation of the BFHI, breastfeeding rates rose from 58 percent to 87 percent, including an increase among US-born African-American mothers from 34 percent to 74 percent in 1999.
If you or someone you know is shopping for a hospital or birth center for the birth of their baby, have them check the list for the best breastfeeding start for their baby.
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