LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of exclusive breastfeeding among professional caregivers in a suburban community hospital who typically surround, or influence, the care of parturient women. DESIGN Cross-sectional quantitative study. SETTING Acute care community hospital in suburban New Jersey with 3,500 births per year. PARTICIPANTS Obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists, pediatricians, and registered nurses. INTERVENTIONS/MEASUREMENTS We designed a survey using two instruments-the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale and the Breastfeeding Attitudes Scale-to explore concepts of breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS (Version 19). Independent sample t tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Pearson's chi-square test (×2) were used to assess differences between the groups. RESULTS When the physician scores were separated out by specialty, statistically significant differences in mean scores were found (p = .002). Pediatricians had lower scores on attitude toward breastfeeding. In contrast, mean scores for perceptions and knowledge of breastfeeding were positive for physicians and nurses, regardless of area of specialization, with no statistically significant differences found. CONCLUSION Although pediatricians' attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of breastfeeding cannot be deemed the sole cause for our organization's low rates of sustained exclusive breastfeeding in the postpartum period, this study provided an avenue for exploration that we did not immediately consider as we dissected our performance metrics related to exclusive breastfeeding. We encourage teams at other organizations to replicate and build on this work to explore influences surrounding low rates of exclusive breastfeeding.