Cape Coral Hospital is the first facility in Southwest Florida to receive international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility from Baby-Friendly USA.

There are currently 493 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the U.S. and more than 20,000 worldwide.

Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

The international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

Cape Coral Hospital delivers more than 1,500 babies a year. For more information, visit www.LeeHealth.org.