Merit Health Biloxi Recognized as Baby-Friendly Hospital
12/9/2019
Biloxi, MS - Baby-Friendly USA, recently announced that Merit Health Biloxi has earned prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility.
The Baby-Friendly initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. This award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
“Breastfeeding plays an important role in providing the best health outcomes for both mother and baby,” said John Mallett, M.D. “This is one of the best ways we can continue caring for mom and baby, long after they leave the hospital.”
The Baby-Friendly designation is based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the broad framework that guides the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. Merit Health Wesley has created an environment that is conducive to successful breastfeeding by offering an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding. That bonding includes what is known as the Golden Hour, the first hour after a baby’s birth.
“Spending the first hour with your baby in skin-to-skin contact not only helps calm the baby, but also builds up resistance to infection and gets breastfeeding off to a good start,” said Trudy Villarubia, Director of Women’s Services. “Families who have participated in the Golden Hour have stated that this special time together is irreplaceable.”
Merit Health Biloxi also encourages “rooming in”-- keeping a baby with his or her parents at all times during their hospital stay, allowing mothers the opportunity to breastfeed at any time. Rooming-in also increases the bond between baby and parents from the beginning and helps parents plan for their baby’s care while still surrounded by the support staff of the hospital.
“Rooming-in can also help make the transition from hospital to home easier,” said Villarubia. “Babies love to hear the familiar voices of their parents, and parents will feel more confident when they go home after having spent more time in the hospital caring for their baby with our nursing staff there to answer questions and offer advice.”
The Baby-Friendly designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed, reviewing the hospital’s adherence to the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Merit Health Biloxi elected to pursue the designation to show commitment to keeping the smallest members of the community healthy.
“Studies have proven that exclusive breastfeeding for six months provides the nurturing, nutrients and energy needed for a baby’s physical and neurological growth and development,” said John Mallett, M.D.
Beyond 6 months, breastfeeding continues to provide energy and high-quality nutrients that, jointly with safe and adequate complementary feeding, help prevent hunger, undernutrition and obesity. Breastfeeding ensures food security for infants. Longer breastfeeding is associated with a 13% reduction in the likelihood of overweight and/or prevalence of obesity and a 35% reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
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