Hayward Medical Center Lauded for Breastfeeding Support

The Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center was one of six Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California to be recognized for its work in supporting new mothers so they can successfully breastfeed their babies.

The Hayward and South Sacramento Medical Centers were recognized at the California Breastfeeding Summit for being two of only 34 hospitals in California to earn the prestigious Baby-FriendlyHospital designation for excellence in breastfeeding support. Only 2 percent of hospitals nationwide have this distinction.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to encourage and recognize hospitals and birthing centers that give mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully start and continue breastfeeding their babies or feed formula safely.

In a recent comprehensive review of the research, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that breastfeeding significantly reduces children’s risk for infections and for chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, and obesity. Breastfeeding also reduces the mother’s risk for type 2 diabetes and breast and ovarian cancers.

The California WIC Association and the UC Davis Human Lactation Center also ranked the Hayward Medical Center third in the state’s top 20 hospitals for highest rate of exclusively breastfed babies.