Yale New Haven Hospital receives international designation as a baby-friendly designated birth facility

NEW HAVEN, CT – Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and Baby-Friendly USA have announced that YNHH has received the prestigious international recognition as a Baby-Friendly designated birth facility.

“We are very proud and thrilled that our team has been recognized with this distinction,” said Cynthia Sparer, senior vice president, operations and executive director of YNHCH. “The clinical excellence and family-centered care we provide each day is reflected in this national honor. This recognition demonstrates the team’s exemplary efforts in providing unparalleled care.”

Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the US authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

“Our Baby-Friendly designation is an honorable achievement resulting from years of hard work and dedication to the goal of family-centered care within women’s services, said Katie Donohue, RN, director of women’s services, Yale New Haven Hospital. “The rigorous criteria are designed to set the highest standards for the best possible breastfeeding support for mother and infant in the maternity setting, insuring high-quality family-centered care. Our entire team is very proud to be recognized with this designation.”

There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide, 354 of which are in the United States. The “Baby-Friendly” designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed. The award is maintained by continuing to practice the Ten Steps as demonstrated by quality processes.

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nationally recognized, 1,541-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). Founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826, today, YNHH has two New Haven-based campuses, and also includes Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. YNHH has a combined medical staff of about 4,500 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. www.ynhh.org