Cleveland Clinic’s Lakewood Hospital has been named a Baby Friendly hospital for its leadership in supporting infant nutrition and mother-baby bonding. Lakewood Hospital is the only hospital in Northern Ohio to receive this designation, and just the fourth statewide.

“Lakewood Hospital’s caregivers have a long history of taking care of the needs of mothers and their babies,” said Lynn Barabach, Nurse Manager for Lakewood Hospital’s Birthing Center. “Our designation as a Baby Friendly hospital is a result of our commitment to always putting our patients first.”

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. It is a quality improvement, recognition and awards program that acknowledges birthing facilities that successfully adopt care practices that support optimal infant nutrition through breastfeeding and bonding. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1997. 

The Cleveland Clinic health system is committed to improving the long-term health and wellness of the community. Breastfeeding is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as the sole source of nutrition for a baby’s first six months.

Lakewood Hospital provides personalized care for mothers and their babies with the goal of helping families through all the stages of preparing for a baby. Caregivers offer a wide array of classes to help understand how the birthing process works and how to care for a newborn.