Healthy maternity policies in the workplace: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services' experience with the "Bring Your Infant to Work" program

Background: Forty-five percent of the workforce is made up of women who make an invaluable contribution to their workplace.  Unfortunately 22 percent of women don’t return to work after their first baby is born.  The Bring Your Infant to Work program addresses the current workplace/workforce mismatch by allowing for an easier transition back into work for the mother and a much greater likelihood of success in meeting breastfeeding goals.

Method: Qualitative and quantitative surveys were sent out to all of the mothers (N=24) and coworkers of mother/baby dyads (N=424) who have participated in this program at Nevada's Depatment of Heath and Human Services between 2009-2013.

Results: Participating mothers reported an average maternity leave of 8 weeks, average amount of savings on day care of $2,850.00, an average duration of breastfeeding of 12.5 months, and an average number of sick days taken due to infant illness of 2.  Of the coworkers who had experienced direct proximity to an infant in the program, 82% reported having a positive experience and 83% reported a favorable view of the policy.

Conclusions: The Bring Your Infant to Work program is one of the most progressive healthy maternity policies to date.  When implemented correctly, it can lead to numerous benefits for families and businesses, including: reduced maternity leave, an easier transition back into to the workplace, increased meeting and exceeding of breastfeeding goals, continued access to income and health and retirement benefits, and the maintenance of a large and diverse workforce for employers.