The 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) will close June 10.
The CDC seeks to assess maternity care practices that influence how infants are fed, while providing feedback that advances hospitals’ ability to support breastfeeding families.
The mPINC survey contains six core sections and an additional section for hospitals with a Special Care Nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The six core sections cover:
- Hospital demographics and data
- Early postpartum care practices
- Feeding practices
- Education and support of mothers and caregivers
- Staff and provider responsibilities and training
- Hospital policies and procedures
Survey administration begins after Battelle, the CDC’s contractor, completes a screening process. Battelle will screen all hospitals via phone by contacting the hospital’s maternity department unit managers. After determining eligibility, the manager is asked to identify the best person to complete a survey that includes questions about unit-level infant nutrition practices.
Nurses, doctors and hospital administrators can use mPINC data to highlight the strengths of their care practices and explain areas of process improvement. The CDC will provide individualized reports to participating hospitals identifying areas of practice improvements that have been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes.
The mPINC data can be used beyond the hospital-level setting. However, all responses are treated in a secure manner and are not disclosed unless required by law. Additionally, state health departments, policymakers and other community partners may access this data to drive evidence-based improvements in maternity care practices and policies at hospitals in their state. The external use of data will be released under data use agreements for additional approved purposes. These data use agreements will require adherence to data confidentiality.
MHA members that provide maternity care services are encouraged to participate by the June 10 deadline.
Members can learn more by email or visiting the CDC’s mPINC webpage. Members with questions should contact Carlie Austin at the MHA.