Midwifery training becomes ‘Baby Friendly’ accredited
Print version
We are delighted to announce that The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King’s College London has become the first university in England to gain the prestigious ‘Baby Friendly’ accreditation award. Mention was made of the School's achievement in the The Times Higher 10 April 2008.
The School hosted the first UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative University standards awards, with an address by Dawn Primarolo MP – Minister of State for Public Health. The event, on the 2 April, included presentation of the awards to The University of the West of Scotland and King’s College London.
Head of School, Professor Anne Marie Rafferty and Head of Midwifery and Women's Health, Pauleene Hammett with the Midwifery and Women's Health section (left to right).
All pre-registration midwifery training incorporates what are designated to be best educational standards for infant feeding in its curriculum. The successful accreditation has been the result of four years work by the midwifery teaching team, headed by Louise Long and Sophie French. Pauleene Hammett is Head of Midwifery and Women’s Health in the School. Apart from being the first and only university in England, it is the first ever ‘Baby Friendly’ award in London.
The ‘Baby Friendly’ initiative is a UNICEF, WHO project which was set-up in response to concern about declining breastfeeding rates in the UK and worldwide. It has two types of award – one for maternity units that can demonstrate they have met a set of ‘Ten Steps’ to successful breastfeeding, and the other one for universities providing midwifery and/or health visitor training. The university one involves:
• Demonstrating that the curriculum incorporates the ‘Baby Friendly’ 19 learning outcomes for best educational standards.
• Delivering infant feeding education without any sponsorship or material from baby milk companies.
• Having student midwives interviewed to assess if they have achieved the 19 learning outcomes.
Both midwifery training courses were successfully assessed during April and June this year and the accreditation officially granted on the 10 July 2007.
More about the ‘Baby Friendly’ initiative can be found on www.babyfriendly.org.uk
All pre-registration midwifery training incorporates what are designated to be best educational standards for infant feeding in its curriculum. The successful accreditation has been the result of four years work by the midwifery teaching team, headed by Louise Long and Sophie French. Pauleene Hammett is Head of Midwifery and Women’s Health in the School. Apart from being the first and only university in England, it is the first ever ‘Baby Friendly’ award in London.
The ‘Baby Friendly’ initiative is a UNICEF, WHO project which was set-up in response to concern about declining breastfeeding rates in the UK and worldwide. It has two types of award – one for maternity units that can demonstrate they have met a set of ‘Ten Steps’ to successful breastfeeding, and the other one for universities providing midwifery and/or health visitor training. The university one involves:
• Demonstrating that the curriculum incorporates the ‘Baby Friendly’ 19 learning outcomes for best educational standards.
• Delivering infant feeding education without any sponsorship or material from baby milk companies.
• Having student midwives interviewed to assess if they have achieved the 19 learning outcomes.
Both midwifery training courses were successfully assessed during April and June this year and the accreditation officially granted on the 10 July 2007.
More about the ‘Baby Friendly’ initiative can be found on www.babyfriendly.org.uk