staff with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde celebrated after becoming the first UK health board to be awarded 100% accreditation by the United Nations Children's Fund.

The Unicef award was presented for the support offered to breastfeeding mothers across all the board's acute and community services.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon presented the awards at Glasgow City Chambers and praised staff for their dedication and valuable work with new mothers and babies.

A total of 16 awards were presented to staff from the board's five maternity units, including the Southern General Hospital and the Royal Infirmary Princess Royal maternity units, which were both reaccredited last year, and the West Of Scotland University for its Midwifery and Public Health Nursing courses.

The Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative, established 20 years ago, is a global programme created by the World Health Organisation and UN Children's Fund to work with health-care systems to ensure a high standard of care in infant feeding.

In the UK, they sustain breastfeeding in the community and run a University Standards Programme for midwifery and health visiting courses.

Currently, 70% of all births in Scotland take place in Baby Friendly accredited hospitals. In England it is 15%.

Ms Sturgeon said this "massive achievement" for Glasgow and west Scotland was "not just about organisational change, but also a cultural change" in attitudes towards breastfeeding.

She said: "The Scottish Government recognises the contribution the Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative makes to improving the care of mothers and babies.

"As a result, every NHS board in Scotland is working towards achieving and maintaining Baby Friendly status in hospital and community settings."

Jessica Wolfson and Ian Stoddart, of Glasgow's West End, have first hand experience of the services on offer.

Their twins, Hal and Ida, were born three weeks prematurely and Jessica suffered various problems, including mastitis, when she began breastfeeding.

But help from staff at the Southern General, health visitors and the Breastfeeding Network helped her overcome the difficulties.

Jessica said: "I'm so glad I persevered, it's 200% worth it. Everybody told me it would get easier and it did, now I find it so enjoyable."

Midwife Clare Govan, of Cumbernauld, is on maternity leave after having her fifth child, Gabriel, now eight months.

She said: "I have always breastfed, to me there is no other way to do it. These awards recognise the hard work of NHS staff, which is amazing."

lalita.augustine.@ eveningtimes.co.uk

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