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Baby‐Friendly Hospital Practices and Birth Costs
Author(s) -
Allen Jessica,
Longenecker Holly B.,
Perrine Cria G.,
Scanlon Kelley S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.124.2
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , maternity care , demography , healthcare cost and utilization project , obstetrics , health care , family medicine , nursing , pediatrics , sociology , economics , economic growth
Objective Describe the association between the number of breastfeeding supportive practices a hospital has in place and the cost of an uncomplicated birth. Methods Data from hospitals in 20 states that participated in the 2007 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases (SID) were merged to calculate the average median hospital cost of uncomplicated vaginal and C‐section births by number of ideal practices indicating the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Linear regression analyses were conducted to estimate change in birth cost for each additional ideal practice in place. Results Unadjusted analyses of uncomplicated births revealed a significant increase in the cost of C‐section births ($98) with each additional practice in place, but no significant increase in the cost of all births or vaginal births ($44 and $35, respectively). The adjusted model showed no significant difference in cost per additional practice among any of the birth groups (all births, $19; vaginal, $15; C‐section, $40). Conclusions Our results revealed that the number of breastfeeding supportive practices a hospital has in place are not significantly associated with higher birth costs. Concern for higher birth costs is not necessarily a barrier for improving maternity care practices that support women who choose to breastfeed.