Health unit achieves baby friendly designation

The Health Unit celebrated their special achievement of Baby-Friendly Initiative™ (BFI) designation with community partners and stakeholders Friday.

The program, led by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, is designed to ensure breastfeeding is promoted, protected and supported in the community.

The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit achieved the designation through collaborative work with community partners and is one of only 8 health units in Ontario to achieve this prestigious designation.

To become Baby-Friendly, the Health Unit followed a detailed ten step process involving community partners, mothers and families. The process includes:

- having supportive policies in place
- ongoing education for all staff
- informing pregnant women about the importance and process of breastfeeding
- supporting all mothers with infant feeding

Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer of Health for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit says breastfeeding is best for child development and it is a cultural movement that takes the entire city to make ours an anywhere anytime breastfeeding community.

“I am very proud of the work our staff and the community have done to achieve BFI designation. With only 7 of 36 health units in Ontario with BFI designation, this is a very prestigious achievement. This means our community supports mothers and families to provide the best start possible for their babies,” said Chirico.