The initiative recognises the efforts of maternity staff in supporting mothers with feeding their new baby.
NBT maternity first gained Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation in 2005 and this is their 4th successful re-accreditation.
Maternity staff at NBT are trained in the Baby Friendly standards and receive ongoing training to help them support mothers.
The team is particularly good at promoting skin to skin contact between mums and babies after births, with this happening 98% of the time, including after Caesarean sections.
Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife Marion Copeland, said: “Maintaining our Baby friendly standards for over 15 years is definitely a team effort. It is an excellent achievement and something to be very proud of. We will now be working towards the UNICEF BFI Gold award.
“We want to ensure mothers have all the support they need as they nurture and feed their new babies.”
The UK Baby Friendly Initiative is based on a global accreditation programme of UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It is designed to support breastfeeding, safe formula feeding and parent infant relationships by working with public services to improve standards of care.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of babies becoming ill. It is also associated with a reduced risk of later childhood disease and protects the mother’s health.
The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative provides a framework for the implementation of best practice by NHS trusts, other health care facilities and higher education institutions, with the aim of ensuring that all parents make informed decisions about feeding their babies and are supported in their chosen feeding method. Facilities and institutions that meet the required standards can be assessed and accredited as Baby Friendly.
Implementing Baby Friendly standards is a proven way of increasing breastfeeding rates. It also means health professionals can give mothers the support, information and encouragement they need.