By Sue Cox

Global initiatives, particularly the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) which requires hospitals to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, have been introduced over the past 20 years to protect and promote exclusive breastfeeding and insure safe nutrition for infants. At present, there are only 80 BFHI accredited hospitals in the U.S., 50 in the U.K., 25 in Canada, and 67 in Australia!

In this book, Sue Cox provides the evidence for why maternity hospitals should promote exclusive breastfeeding and become certified Baby-Friendly hospitals. She goes through each of the Ten Steps, providing extensive research on the necessity of each step. She then explains what administrators need to do to alter policy, procedures, and the culture or beliefs of their staff to implement the Ten Steps and what staff need to do to help mothers successfully breastfeed in the hospital and beyond.

Anyone who is concerned about health and healthcare costs needs to read this book. Changing the hospital culture to embrace breastfeeding has far-reaching health implications. Armed with the evidence provided in this book, hospital administrators, doctors, and nurses can easily justify the changes needed to become a Baby-Friendly hospital, improving not only the health of infants, but also the health of mothers and society in general!