In the News - How We Did It

Developing regulations that promote breastfeeding: The role of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition
In December of 2005, Massachusetts put forth newly revised hospital regulations that significantly strengthened breastfeeding education, promotion and support in the state’s maternity hospitals. The new regulations gained considerable press because they established Massachusetts as the first state to prohibit the direct marketing of infant formula to mothers. Perhaps more importantly, they were part of a broader effort to promote high-quality family-centered care, set higher standards for the availability of lactation services, require on-going breastfeeding education for medical staff, and improve documentation and discharge planning of infant feeding practices.

Since Massachusetts is a pioneer in the development of the breastfeeding-friendly policies, many people have asked us how we did it. In short, the new regulations are the result of a successful alliance between the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition, consumers, health care providers, and our state Department of Public Health (DPH). The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition (MBC) spearheaded the effort by finding a key champion in the legislature and working with DPH to develop evidence-based guideline for breastfeeding promotion in the hospital setting. Massachusetts’ new regulations are a great example of the ability of a broad coalition to create changes through hospital policies, provider practices, state regulations, and legislation.



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