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The Southern Trust has been awarded the Baby Friendly Accreditation for the Special Care Baby Unit in Daisy Hill Hospital and the Neonatal Unit in Craigavon Area Hospital. The Stage Three Accreditation, awarded through charity UNICEF, recognises that both facilities have achieved the highest standards of care, ensuring parents receive consistent support to develop close relationships with their babies and make informed decisions about feeding.
The criteria include promoting breastfeeding, skin to skin contact and bonding between parents and newborns.
Michelle Harrison, Assistant Director for Integrated Maternity and Women's Health, said the award reflects the Trust's ongoing commitment to supporting mothers. "This award from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to increase breastfeeding rates and improve care for all mothers in the Southern Trust." She added: "Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses, including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy, as well as cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and obesity later in life. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of some cancers, and that it supports the mental health of both mother and baby."
Director of Children, Young People and Women's Services Colm McCafferty said the accreditation was testament to the commitment of staff throughout the Trust's services. "Achieving UNICEF Baby Friendly status is a significant milestone for the Trust and is testament to the commitment of our staff across our services to deliver safe, compassionate, person-centred care for every mother, baby and family." He added: "Giving every child the best start in life is at the heart of our Vision and Strategy. This accreditation reflects the outstanding care our teams provide every day, and our focus to continually improving the quality of our services and working together to achieve the best outcomes for the communities we serve."
