Princess Alexandra Hospital celebrates ‘Baby Friendly’ 
endorsement from Unicef

­THE Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) has again been hailed as ‘Baby Friendly’ by global children’s champion, Unicef. (United Nation’s Children’s Fund), and now the maternity department’s labour ward team have a plaque on display to prove it.

The hospital in Harlow first won the title in 2016, and is celebrating hearing that it has retained the award following a wide-ranging assessment.

Since first achieving the award, breastfeeding initiation rates, have risen from 69% in 2016 to 75% in 2018. To support this rise PAH offers three expert breastfeeding support clinics in the hospital which is run by the infant feeding midwives. All maternity, neonatal and paediatricians receive training in breastfeeding to support these Unicef standards.

The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by Unicef and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme which provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for all mothers and babies.

The initiative works with UK public services to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding and to strengthen mother-baby and family relationships. The award is given to health facilities, hospitals and universities after an assessment by the Unicef team has shown that recognised best practice standards are in place.
The reaccreditation is valid from 2018 to 2021, when the Trust will have another Unicef assessment to ensure the infant feeding standards are being maintained.

Jacqui Featherstone, Associate Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Family and Women’s Services said: “We decided to join forces with Unicef UK’s Baby Friendly Initiative to increase breastfeeding rates and to improve care for all mothers at PAHT.

“Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy as well as asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in later life. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk of some cancers – although mums might be more interested in hearing that it is easier, cheaper and simply less hassle than bottle feeding.

“However a mother chooses to feed her baby, she can be sure that she will be supported to form a strong loving relationship with her newborn – through having maximum skin to skin contact and understanding how her baby communicates with her and needs her to respond. Our maternity unit is rated outstanding for caring by health inspector CQC and I’m really proud to get further recognition of the care we give to mothers and their newborns.”

Sue Ashmore, Baby Friendly Initiative Programme Director, said: “We are delighted that The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust has achieved full Baby Friendly status. Surveys show us that most mothers want to breastfeed but don’t always get the support they need. Mothers at PAHT can be confident that their staff will provide high standards of care.”

For more information about breastfeeding you can visit www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/