Breastfeeding care in Ohio hospitals: a gap between research and practice. 
To assess current breastfeeding care in Ohio hospitals and compare that care to research-based principles.  Survey.  Ohio hospitals that provide maternity care.  All 141 Ohio hospitals that provide maternity care were invited to participate.  One-hundred sixteen (83%) hospitals returned usable surveys completed by obstetric nurse managers.  A 38-item questionnaire provided data on hospital demographics and information regarding the care of breastfeeding mother-infant dyads.  Research-based practices common in Ohio's hospitals include demand feeding, breastfeeding education, and breastfeeding as the initial neonatal feeding.  Common non-research-based practices include supplemental fluid administration, postpartum nipple treatments, mandatory initial nursery stays, limited sucking time, restricted maternal-infant contact, distribution of formula packs, minimal follow-up care, and the suspension of breastfeeding for hyperbilirubinemia.  Despite positive changes in perinatal care, a number of non-research-based practices persist in Ohio hospitals for the care of the breastfeeding mother-infant dyad.