At a glance
Learn about the national results report from CDC's 2022 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC™) Survey. Find what the survey measures, who is included in the results, and what the national scores for each subdomain are.
About the 2022 mPINC™ survey
mPINC™ is CDC's national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care.
The survey measures care practices and policies that impact newborn feeding, feeding education, staff skills, and discharge support.
CDC invites all hospitals with maternity services in the United States and territories to participate. In 2022, 1,994 of 2,779 eligible hospitals participated (72%).
Note:
The mPINC™ survey was redesigned in 2018. Results from the mPINC™ surveys 2018 and later cannot be compared with results from 2007 to 2015 mPINC™ surveys.
For questions about the mPINC™ survey, visit Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC™) Survey.
National total score*: 81
Implementing best practices and policies in maternity care helps to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Use mPINC™ data to bring together partners, identify gaps, celebrate achievements, and prioritize next steps.
*Scores range from 0 to 100, with 100 being the best possible score. The “Total Score” is an average of the subscores for the six subdomains.
Using data from CDC's 2022 mPINC survey, CDC reported that:
- Donor human milk was not available at 31% of advanced neonatal care units (ANCU) (Level II, III, and IV). Donor milk availability varied by level of care.
- 100% of hospitals with Level IV reported donor milk was available.
- 92% of hospitals with Level III reported donor milk was available.
- Less than half (45%) of hospitals with Level II ANCUs had reported donor milk was available. (Hospital special care nurseries).
- 100% of hospitals with Level IV reported donor milk was available.
Immediate postpartum care
National Subscore: 84
| Immediate Postpartum Care | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Newborns remain in uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact for at least 1 hour or until breastfed (vaginal delivery) | 70% |
| Newborns remain in uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact for at least 1 hour or until breastfed (cesarean delivery) | 50% |
| Mother-infant dyads are NOT separated before rooming-in (vaginal delivery) | 90% |
| Newborns are monitored continuously for the first 2 hours after birth | 73% |
Rooming-in
National Subscore: 76
| Rooming-In | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Mother-infant dyads are rooming-in 24 hours/day | 84% |
| Routine newborn exams, procedures, and care occur in the mother’s room | 33% |
| Hospital has a protocol requiring frequent observations of high-risk mother-infant dyads | 75% |
Feeding practices
National Subscore: 81
| Feeding Practices | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Few breastfeeding newborns receive infant formula | 28% |
| Hospital does NOT perform routine blood glucose monitoring on newborns not at risk for hypoglycemia | 93% |
| When breastfeeding mothers request infant formula, staff counsel them about possible consequences | 59% |
Feeding education and support
National Subscore: 94
| Feeding Education & Support | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Mothers whose newborns are fed formula are taught feeding techniques and how to safely prepare/feed formula | 78% |
| Breastfeeding mothers are taught/shown how to recognize/respond to feeding cues, to breastfeed on-demand, and to understand the risks of artificial nipples/pacifiers | 76% |
| Breastfeeding mothers are taught/shown how to position and latch their newborn, assess effective breastfeeding, and hand express milk | 74% |
Discharge support
National Subscore: 78
| Discharge Support | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Discharge criteria for breastfeeding newborns requires direct observation of at least 1 effective feeding at the breast within 8 hours of discharge | 68% |
| Discharge criteria for breastfeeding newborns requires scheduling of the first follow-up with a health care provider | 89% |
| Hospital’s discharge support to breastfeeding mothers includes in-person follow-up visits/appointments, personalized phone calls, or formalized, coordinated referrals to lactation providers | 89% |
| Hospital does NOT give mothers any of these items as gifts or free samples: infant formula; feeding bottles/nipples, nipple shields, or pacifiers; coupons, discounts, or educational materials from companies that make/sell infant formula/feeding products | 66% |
Institutional management
National Subscore: 76
| Institutional Management | % of Hospitals with Ideal Response |
|---|---|
| Nurses are required to demonstrate competency in assessing breastfeeding (milk transfer & maternal pain), assisting with breastfeeding (positioning & latch), teaching hand expression & safe formula preparation/feeding, and demonstrating safe skin-to-skin practices§ | 73% |
| Hospital requires nurses to be formally assessed for clinical competency in breastfeeding support/lactation management | 75% |
| Hospital records/tracks exclusive breastfeeding throughout the entire hospitalization | 92% |
| Hospital pays a fair market price for infant formula | 54% |
| Hospital has 100% of written policy elements§ | 32% |
§See the scoring algorithm for specific items on CDC’s Maternity Care Practices scoring web page.