Improving Birth Dose Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates: A Quality Improvement Intervention.

Background: There are 43 000 new cases of hepatitis B virus infection and 1000 cases of perinatally acquired infection each year in the United States. National recommendations are to administer hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine to all stable newborns >2000 g within 24 hours of birth. Our primary objective was to increase institutional vaccination rates from a baseline of 52% to goal >85% before hospital discharge.

Achieving baby-friendly designation: step-by-step.

The recent Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding reinforces the important role breastfeeding has in the health of mothers and babies. It identifies the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative as a strategy that encompasses practices that result in better breastfeeding outcomes. Currently there are approximately 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals worldwide; however, only 125 of them are in the United States.

Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding 2 to 4 weeks following discharge from a large, urban, academic medical center striving for baby-friendly designation.

Substantial evidence documents the superiority of breastfeeding for mothers and breastmilk for babies. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S.