Methods: Maternity Care Practices

Methods

In 2007 CDC administered the first national survey of maternity care practices related to breastfeeding to every facility in the United States that routinely provides maternity care services. Known as the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) Survey, this survey is a national census of facilities routinely providing maternity care.

The initial survey established baseline measures of practices in place at intrapartum care facilities across the United States and territories, and the extent to which these vary by state. It has been administered every other year thereafter (from 2007 to 2015) to monitor and examine changes in practices over time. Information from the surveys helps inform birthing facilities, state public health departments, and CDC programs.

Each survey year we screen hospitals and birth centers by telephone. We contact the mother/baby manager to help identify the best person to complete the survey that includes questions about infant nutrition, such as breastfeeding, use of formula by healthy newborns, and feeding routines. Because we follow this process each time that we administer a new survey, the person identified to receive the survey one year is not necessarily the person identified to receive the survey in a later cycle.

We do not collect the name(s) of the individual(s) that completed the mPINC survey. The cover letter accompanying the survey recognizes that no single person may be best able to answer all of the questions in the mPINC survey, and encourages the person completing the survey to obtain input from other key personnel as needed.

Data Collection

All mPINC Survey data collection (OMB # 0920-0743) is currently managed by Battelle, a national survey and research organization with extensive experience in collection of health data. From 2007 to 2015, the mPINC survey used a mixed-mode survey which included a hard copy mailed survey or a web-based survey option. Future surveys will only be available for completion online.