Alison and Jo-Anna, who many of you will remember from their presentation at last year’s Ontario Network of CAPC/CPNP Projects virtual conference, have shared a newly published research article with the Network. You can also watch the session recording in our event archive:
https://www.webconnects.ca/node/911
The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzed BORN Ontario data for 422,048 term-born singleton newborns who began breastfeeding in Ontario hospitals between 2015 and 2021. It found that 27% of babies received formula in hospital without a medical reason, with higher rates among families facing socioeconomic barriers and among racialized groups.
Overall, the findings highlight how hospital feeding practices may unintentionally reinforce existing inequities for marginalized and racialized families, underscoring the importance of trauma- and culturally informed approaches to infant feeding support.
đź“„ Access the research
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Full article (open access):
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2842679 -
PDF of the study: attached to this post
Reflective questions
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How do these findings align with what families share about their hospital experiences in your community?
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Where do you see opportunities for CAPC/CPNP programs to support informed, culturally safe infant feeding decisions after hospital discharge?
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How might structural factors (policies, practices, messaging) influence families’ feeding choices, beyond individual preference?
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What partnerships or advocacy efforts could help address these inequities upstream?
You’re welcome to use this space to share reflections or note connections to your own work, if helpful.