New London - Baby-Friendly USA has named Lawrence + Memorial Hospital a “Baby-Friendly” birthing facility, the hospital announced this week.

With the designation, L+M becomes just the seventh Connecticut hospital to achieve this status. There are only 177 “Baby-Friendly” hospitals in the country.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

An onsite survey is completed by the Baby-Friendly USA team before designation is given.

For information, visit” www.babyfriendlyusa.org.