The “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” are the foundation of the WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). They summarize the maternity practices necessary to support breastfeeding. The purpose of this document is to review the evidence for the efficacy of the ‘Ten Steps’, and to provide a tool for both advocacy and education. It is hoped that policies and practices in future will be based on research rather than on conjecture and custom (Inch & Garforth, 1989).