One of 13 Baby-Friendly Hospitals in New Jersey
Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell in Pennington, New Jersey has again achieved the international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States.
Being Baby-Friendly means Capital Health meets the highest standards of care for breastfeeding parents and their babies. These standards are built on the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” a set of evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for optimal infant feeding support in the precious first days of a newborn’s life.
“I would like to congratulate our entire team for their extraordinary commitment to our patient community. This third Baby-Friendly® designation ranks us among a select group of facilities that demonstrate an abiding commitment to ensuring every parent feels confident and comfortable feeding their new baby,” said Alexandra Nelson, divisional director of Maternal Child Health Services, Capital Health.
“From the prenatal setting, to inpatient care, and into our pediatric clinic, our teams are wholly committed to providing excellent clinical care grounded in compassion and responsiveness to each family’s unique goals,” said Melanie Miller, manager of Lactation Services at Capital Health. “We are proud to have maintained this designation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and to have grown our services to include expanded in-house lactation support and increased access to human donor milk.”
The positive health effects of breastfeeding are well documented and widely recognized by health authorities throughout the world. According to the Surgeon General’s 2011 Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, “breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infant’s nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children.”
Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell joins a growing list of more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, 604 of which are in the United States. These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every parent’s right to make the best decision for their family.
About Capital Health
Capital Health is the Central New Jersey/Lower Bucks County region’s leader in providing progressive, quality patient care with significant investments in physicians, nurses and staff, as well as advanced technology. Comprised of two hospitals (Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell), Hamilton, Bordentown, and Capital Health - East Trenton outpatient facilities, and various primary and specialty care practices across the region, Capital Health is a dynamic health care resource accredited by DNV.
A five-time Magnet-designated health system for nursing excellence, Capital Health serves as a Level II regional trauma center, regional perinatal center (including a Level III NICU), and emergency mental health screening center. Capital Health also offers the region’s first and most experienced Pediatric Emergency Department and New Jersey’s first Autism-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department. Capital Health also provides innovative programs such as Capital Institute for Neurosciences; nationally accredited Center for Comprehensive Breast Care; Center for Digestive Health; Marjorie G. Ernest Joint Replacement Center of Excellence; award-winning Cancer Center; and the Heart and Vascular Institute, which includes the region’s first accredited Chest Pain Center. For more information, visit capitalhealth.org.
About Baby-Friendly USA
As the accrediting body and national authority for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States, Baby-Friendly USA is responsible for upholding the highest standards in infant feeding care by coordinating and conducting all activities necessary to confer the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation and ensure the widespread adoption of the BFHI in the US. Learn more about Baby-Friendly USA and the BFHI at www.babyfriendlyusa.org.