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Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) remains the cornerstone of infant nutrition for the first six months of life, presenting multiple short and long term benefits. The purpose of this study is the demonstration of EBF rates of infants born in baby-friendly hospitals (BFH) and the factors that positively influence EBF. Methods: The study was conducted in all four of the BFH that exist in Greece, between 2020 and 2022. The study sample consisted of 1200 mothers, taken from the 7101 that delivered at those hospitals during the time of the study. A questionnaire was used that included questions to evaluate the infant's nutrition after birth, after exiting the maternity hospital and during the 2nd, 4th and 6th month of age. The WHO guidelines on EBF and breastfeeding (BF), as well as the "Infant and Young Child Feeding" indicators, were used. Results: The EBF rate within 1 h after birth was 71.3%, which gradually declined to 21.2% in the 6th month. The respective rate of BF was 94.5% and declined to 66.1%. The logistic regression revealed that attending antenatal breastfeeding courses, vaginal delivery, full-term pregnancies and the mothers' advanced education level constitute independent positive prognostic factors for increased EBF rates. Conclusion: The results of the first national study on BFH are presented. Despite the improvement of EBF rates in Greece, compared to the latest available data from 2018, reinforcement of EBF promotion measures is required in order to approach the WHO's targets by 2025. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the influence of a program to promote breast-feeding on the consumption of infant formulas. Material and methods. We reviewed the reports of consumption of infants formulas during the 22 months previous to (period A) and after (period B) the beginning of the campaign. The total number of tins consumed and the number of liters prepared was recorded, and the quantity consumed and the cost per child was calculated. The data were analyzed by non-paired Student's t test, and the level of statistical significance was fixed at p < 0.05. Results. There were statistically significant differences regarding the number of tins, kilograms of formula, liters of prepared milk, total cost of the product, consumption of formula per child and cost of feeding per child. The differences in all variables were favorable to period B. Discussion. Our results suggest that breast-feeding campaigns decrease the consumption of infant formulas and the cost of feeding the newborn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]