A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Providers and Staff at Al-Zahraa University Hospital Regarding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and the International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes.

Four hundred eight providers and staff members who care for breastfeeding mothers and babies at Al-Zahraa University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt were randomly selected to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The majority of the participants scored above 50% on the knowledge and attitude questions, however, on the practice questions only 45.3% scored above 50%, similar to the result obtained 10 years prior. The results indicate that most attention should be focused on developing practice guidelines and monitoring outcomes since knowledge and attitude were found to be adequate. We would recommend self-appraisal of staff as a first step to others whose hospitals are in the process of implementing the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.