Local Hospital To Receive Support In Its Effort To Make Facility More Baby-Friendly
By Lynne Adkins
ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) -- A local hospital is getting assistance in its effort to spread the word on the benefits of breastfeeding.
Abington Hospital has become one of the first facilities in the nation to join the EMPower Initiative funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's designed to help doctors and nurses make the hospital more baby friendly in a climate when many facilities are closing maternity wards.
Dr. Steven Shapiro, chairman of Pediatrics, says, "we'll receive support in breast feeding practices from the organization, training will be more inclusive, including the physicians both obstetrical, as well as pediatric physicians."
He says it's important to encourage breastfeeding and help new moms get started because it provides a natural source of nutrients for the baby, while providing health benefits for the infant and the mother.