BACKGROUND Maternal breastfeeding has been widely accepted as the gold standard for infant nutrition during the first six months of life.1 Healthy People 2020 goals:
– 89.1% initiation of breastfeeding
– 60.6% breastfeeding for 6 months
– 32.4% breastfeeding for 1 year1 Global promotion of breastfeeding though Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
– Started by WHO and UNICEF in 1991 to assist hospitals in facilitating and promoting breastfeeding
– Provides education and skill building for all levels of staff
– Recognizes hospitals providing optimal care for infant nutrition2 While the rates of breastfeeding have increased nationally since 1990, the rates among African American women lag behind those of White and Hispanic women. 3 To determine if patterns at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) mirror national trends, we performed a retrospective chart review to analyze how breastfeeding rates differed between African American and White patients. This will provide a standard against which to measure future breastfeeding rates and trends in this patient population
