Grant: Master's Award - PA: RPP - Newfoundland and Labrador

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pubic Health Agency of Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life or longer to ensure optimal infant health and development. Breastfeeding supports healthy immune function, infant nutrition, mother-child bonding, and protects against sudden infant death syndrome, opportunistic infections and future health complications. Although benefits are well evidenced and recommendations are clear, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding at six months in all of Canada. The WHO has developed a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) to promote optimal infant feeding practices in healthcare settings, however none of the 34 Baby-Friendly birthing facilities in Canada are located in NL. Using an institutional ethnographic approach, this research will: 1) assess infant feeding practices at the St. John's General Hospital using BFHI guidelines, 2) identify facilitators and deterrents for optimal infant feeding healthcare delivery, 3) review policy and clinical guidelines for infant feeding practices at the provincial, health authority, and hospital level, and 4) assess patient healthcare experiences. Research findings will be used to help bridge the outcome gap between internationally recognized best practices for infant feeding, and infant feeding practices in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.