Publicly available Australian hospital data on infant feeding: A review and comparative analysis of outcomes

Breastfeeding is the optimal method of providing infant nutrition. The Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) is a global strategy to promote breastfeeding. This study aimed to explore infant feeding data in Australian hospitals and compare outcomes between BFHI and non-BFHI accredited hospitals, and between public and private hospitals.

We targeted publicly available Australian public and private hospital data on breastfeeding outcomes at discharge from 2018 to 2019. We linked the data to the BFHI accredited hospitals and used t tests to compare mean breastfeeding rates and Chi square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.

Across all Australian states and territories, only New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC) provided the publicly available target data. Breastfeeding indicators were defined differently between these states. In NSW, breastfeeding at discharge was reported as a full breastfeeding rate among live born infants (71 %) whereas in VIC, it was reported as exclusive breastfeeding rates among term babies only (79 %). Comparing public with private hospitals, the rates of full breastfeeding at discharge in NSW and exclusive breastfeeding in VIC were significantly lower among private non-BFHI accredited hospitals compared to public non-BFHI accredited hospitals.

BFHI accreditation can be beneficial in decreasing the rates of commercial milk formula use. Consistent reinforcement of BFHI principles and implementation in both private and public hospitals is required. Regular state monitoring and national dissemination of aggregated data collected using standardised breastfeeding indicators is also essential.