UCI Health — Fountain Valley redesignated a Baby-Friendly USA hospital
Recognized for adhering to highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers, babies
Orange, Calif. — UCI Health — Fountain Valley has been redesignated as a Baby-Friendly USA hospital, an affirmation of its dedication to supporting new mothers and their babies. The 400-bed acute care hospital was first recognized in 2019.
It joins UCI Health — Orange, which has been designated Baby-Friendly since 2017.
“This redesignation is significant and a recognition of the dedication that our labor and delivery and postpartum teams have for our patients every day,” said UCI Health – Fountain Valley CEO Randy Rogers.
“These honors show our communities the commitment to quality and support for families during the first important days of a newborn’s life.”
The prestigious international certification is granted after a rigorous, on-site review process.
The organization’s 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. Mothers who give birth at Baby-Friendly hospitals and birthing centers are more likely to initiate breastfeeding and more likely to sustain breastfeeding at 6 months and 1 year old.
Baby-Friendly facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman’s right to make the best decision for herself and her family.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.