Adventist Health Hanford earns prestigious Baby-Friendly Designation

Adventist Health Hanford’s Birth Center has achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly Designation following a rigorous review by Baby-Friendly USA, which is the organization responsible for awarding this certification in the United States.

This distinguished certification demonstrates that the Hanford Birth Center is adhering to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. These standards are built on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which are a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life.

Adventist Health Hanford joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 596 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman’s right to make the best decision for herself and her family.

“We are extremely proud of the work our Hanford Birth Center team accomplished to achieve Baby-Friendly status,” says Laurie Taggart, patient care executive at Adventist Health Hanford. “This was a years-long process, but our team stayed committed to providing the support, education and resources moms need to successfully begin breastfeeding and continue breastfeeding when they leave our care.”

Breastfeeding health benefits for infants include protection from diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, diabetes, leukemia and childhood obesity, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Mothers also benefit with decreased postpartum bleeding, earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

More information about Adventist Health Hanford’s Birth Center is available at www.HanfordBirthCenter.com.

More information about Baby-Friendly USA is available at www.babyfriendlyusa.org