A group case study assignment: implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in a U.S. community hospital...

While evidence demonstrates that hospital practices impact breastfeeding duration and exclusivity and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is considered the gold standard for evidence-based breastfeeding care in hospitals, there remain hospital policies and practices that interfere with breastfeeding success. The U.S. Surgeon General and others have called for an improvement in the breastfeeding content in university programs. In this group case study assignment, appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate programs, students are introduced to the BFHI, and learn best management approaches as they address the case study problems at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Students develop administrative, management, and policy development skills as they design a plan to achieve Baby Friendly designation.