The mPINC survey: Impacting US maternity care practices

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered the original Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey, a census of all US birth facilities, from 2007 to 2015 to monitor infant feeding-related maternity care practices and policies. The purpose of this paper is to describe the many uses of mPINC data. Hospitals, organizations and governments (federal, state and local) have used the mPINC survey as a tool for improving care among the populations they serve. Nationally, the mPINC survey has been used to document marked improvements in infant feeding-related maternity care. Researchers have used the mPINC data to examine a variety of questions related to maternity care practices and policies. The newly revised mPINC survey (2018) has been designed to capture changes that have occurred over the past decade in infant feeding-related US maternity care. Hospitals, organizations, governments and researchers will be able to continue using this important tool in their efforts to ensure US maternity care practices and policies are fully supportive of breastfeeding.