Breastfeeding has many positive health-related effects for both mothers and babies, yet some mothers who wish to breastfeed do not feel fully supported by the hospitals and professionals who provide maternity care. This measure is reported as an overall rate that includes all newborns who were exclusively fed breast milk during the entire hospitalization. It was developed by CMQCC and initially endorsed by the National Quality Forum in 2008. The Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding measure was re-endorsed as one of NQF’s Perinatal and Reproductive Health measures in 2016, and The Joint Commission is now its steward.
