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
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
Citation
Locke, K. (2023). Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s Benefits, Effectiveness, and Relevance to Internship at a Women’s Hospital. The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursuht/198
