UNICEF and the World Health Organization introduced the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in the early 1990s, and it was endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2010. Since then, the number of U.S. hospitals participating in the program has increased to 17 percent, according to the study.

The program includes a list of 10 rules for hospitals to follow, including promoting breastfeeding, a ban on pacifiers and allowing babies to sleep next to their mothers instead of in nurseries. But, following the 10 steps may lead to hazardous, and even fatal, issues for babies, according to the commentary, penned by Joel L. Bass, M.D., chair of the department of pediatrics at Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Tina Gartley, M.D., a pediatric hospitalist at Newton-Wellesley; and Ronald Kleinman, M.D., physician-in-chief at MassGeneral Hospital for Children.

Read more at Fierce Healthcare.com.