New Breastfeeding Policies in Maryland Hospitals


Maryland Hospital Breastfeeding Policy Recommendations

On November 14, 2012, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) unveiled the new Maryland Hospital Breastfeeding Policy Recommendations for all hospitals in the state to encourage and support breastfeeding for newborns.

The 2012 Maryland Hospital Breastfeeding Policy Recommendations call for hospitals to take the following actions:
  • Maintain a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
  • Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
  • Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
  • Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
  • Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
  • Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
  • Practice "rooming-in," a practice that allows mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
  • Encourage unrestricted breastfeeding.
  • Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
  • Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
Many members of the Maryland Breastfeeding Coalition (MBC) were involved in the stakeholders meeting to help with the development of the policy, and others were at the launch of the policy at Shady Grove Hospital. Vergie Hughes RN MS IBCLC FILCA represented MBC and Dana Silver MD represented the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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