What Does “Baby-Friendly” Mean?
I have been a lactation consultant at Beth Israel Medical Center since 2001. Mount Sinai Beth Israel has been working on the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. “Baby-Friendly” is the official description of an initiative created by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to encourage hospitals all over the world to promote healthy feeding choices for infants. Achieving baby-friendly designation is a lengthy process and involves a thorough site visit. There are currently about 130 hospitals in the United States that have achieved this designation. In 2010, Beth Israel was awarded a grant from the New York City Department of Health to pursue this designation. (more…)
