TABLE 2. Hospital maternity care practices and breastfeeding support in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic — U.S. states and territories, July 15–August 20, 2020.
| Hospital maternity care practices (no. with available information) |
No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Universal COVID-19 testing among women admitted to labor and delivery (1,344) |
864 (64.3)
|
| Adequate COVID-19 tests available for women admitted to labor and delivery (1,343) | 1,211 (90.2) |
|
Is hospital separating mothers and newborns until the mother receives a negative COVID-19 test? (1,322)
| |
| Yes, all newborns are separated until mother receives a negative result |
64 (4.8) |
| No, newborns are only separated from mothers with symptoms or known exposure while awaiting results |
378 (28.6) |
| No, all mothers and newborns remain together until the mother receives a positive result |
320 (24.2) |
| No, all mothers and newborns are kept together regardless of symptoms, known exposure, or test results |
560 (42.4) |
|
Skin-to-skin care in the first hour after birth of a healthy newborn whose mother has suspected/confirmed COVID-19 (1,335)
| |
| Encouraged |
178 (13.3) |
| Determined case-by-case as shared decision with the mother |
883 (66.1) |
| Discouraged |
187 (14.0) |
| Prohibited |
87 (6.5) |
|
Rooming-in for newborns of mothers with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 (1,334)
| |
| Encouraged; no precautions required |
34 (2.6) |
| Encouraged with precautions to maintain distance |
726 (54.4) |
| Discouraged, but allowed if mother’s preference |
504 (37.8) |
| Prohibited; newborn was cared for in a room separate from mother |
70 (5.3) |
|
Breastfeeding for mothers with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 (1,334)
| |
| Direct breastfeeding encouraged with precautions (e.g., mask, handwashing) |
893 (66.9) |
| Direct breastfeeding discouraged but allowed with precautions if mother chooses |
268 (20.1) |
| Direct breastfeeding not supported, but mothers encouraged to express breast milk for feeding by a healthy caregiver |
170 (12.7) |
| Formula feeding recommended |
3 (0.2) |
|
Mothers with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 who are not breastfeeding are supported to start expressing breast milk (1,316)
| |
| Within 1 hr of birth |
438 (33.3) |
| 1–3 hrs after birth |
645 (49.0) |
| 4–6 hrs after birth |
195 (14.8) |
| Timing is not a consideration |
34 (2.6) |
| Mothers are discouraged from expressing breast milk |
4 (0.3) |
|
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, direct lactation support has decreased (1,339)
|
239 (17.9) |
|
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital is discharging mothers and newborns <48 hrs after birth (1,337)
|
975 (72.9) |
|
Postdischarge breastfeeding support currently offered by the hospital* (1,344)
| |
| In-person breastfeeding support consultations |
802 (59.7) |
| Virtual breastfeeding consultations |
655 (48.7) |
| Information on how to access a breast pump |
1,047 (77.9) |
| Renting or lending hospital-grade breast pumps |
469 (34.9) |
| Hospital exclusive breastfeeding rate since start of the pandemic (1,341) | |
| Increased |
152 (11.3) |
| Decreased |
164 (12.2) |
| Stayed about the same |
924 (68.9) |
| Don’t know | 101 (7.5) |
Abbreviation: COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019.
* Hospital could indicate all types of discharge support that applied.