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I. Statement of the Issue and Research Question It is often an obstacle to promote and sustain breastfeeding in the clinical setting. This has the potential to be remedied through the implementation of Baby-Friendly initiatives. Hospitals are provided a ten-step instruction guide to reach this goal. The ten steps include composing a written policy that is routinely communicated to all healthcare staff, training all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement the breastfeeding policy, informing all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding, helping mothers initiate breastfeeding immediately after birth, showing mothers how to breastfeed and maintain lactation, giving newborn infants only breast milk unless medically necessary to do otherwise, practicing rooming-in, encouraging breastfeeding on demand, giving no artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants, and fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and providing discharge education (UNICEF, 2009). How will Baby-Friendly initiatives effect breast-feeding rates at an inner city hospital? II. Statement of the Program, Practice, or Research Methods Breastfeeding initiation rates were compared at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC before Baby-Friendly policies were in place. 1000 complete medical records, accounting for approximately 10% of births were randomly selected. Medical records were excluded for missing data, human immunodeficiency virus-positive parent, neonatal intensive care unit admission, preterm delivery, maternal substance abuse, adoption, incarceration, or hepatitis C positive mother. All feedings were tallied. Each infant was categorized into one of four groups; exclusively breastfeeding, mostly breastfeeding, mostly formula feeding, and exclusively formula feeding. III. Summary and Implications The first phase of this study gave the hospital accurate baseline data of breastfeeding statistics. The study will be repeated for the next two years to assess the success of Baby-Friendly initiatives. It has the potential to reinforce previous research concerning the success of Baby-Friendly initiatives. Practitioners may consider these initiatives in the L&D and Postpartum setting to increase breastfeeding rates. IV. Objectives • Understand the importance of increasing rates of breastfeeding • Understand what constitutes Baby-Friendly initiatives • View baseline data of phase I of the study