Date of Graduation

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Nursing

Advisor/Mentor

Franks, Lisa

Committee Member/Reader

Ballentine, Hope

Abstract

Background: This review was conducted to analyze the benefits and effectiveness of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and compare it to my internship at a Baby-Friendly designated women’s hospital.

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to compile and compare existing research on Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative to determine its benefits, effectiveness, and relevance to my internship.

Method: Two databases, CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE, were used to find a total of 18 peer-reviewed journal articles on Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative benefits and effectiveness. Key words consisted of “baby friendly,” “hospital,” and “benefits or advantages.”

Results: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative has been found to increase initiation of breastfeeding; however, it has not been proven to increase duration of breastfeeding enough to get to the United States Healthy People 2030 goal of exclusive breastfeeding of 42.4% of infants through six months of life.

Conclusion: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative practices that have been analyzed were seen in my internship with a women’s hospital. I was able to witness a lot of these benefits firsthand and see many of the challenges that go along with Baby-Friendly practices.

Keywords

baby-friendly, hospital

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