Effects of hospital policies and practices on initiation and duration of breastfeeding

Background The aim of this study was to verify if hospital policies and practices, independently of main maternal sociodemographic determinants, influence initiation and duration of breastfeeding. Methods The study was carried out at the Immunization Centre of Messina where all infants born in the four maternity wards of Messina are vaccinated, using a structured questionnaire, constructed in conformity with the methodology suggested by the WHO. Results Data analysis, performed by non‐parametric and multivariate analysis of variance and by Kaplan–Meier curves, showed that the highest probability rate (P