The Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health received more than $500,000 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield North Carolina to help 61 hospitals in under-served North Carolina communities improve their maternal and early childhood practices.

The money will help cover the fees the hospitals pay to gain the internationally-recognized “Baby-Friendly” designation, used by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to highlight hospitals that provide optimal education and services in maternal care.

Those fees are often too large of a financial barrier for smaller hospitals, Catherine Sullivan, director of the Global Breastfeeding Institute said. With these newly available funds, hospitals can more easily pursue the set of practices required to be “Baby-friendly,” which include teaching hospital staff proper breastfeeding techniques and having newly born babies be roomed-in with the mother for most of their stay in the hospital.

Sullivan, who is also an assistant professor of maternal and child health at the Gillings school, said that “Baby-friendly” practices lead to better health for both mother and child.

Neo-natal care, focused on new-born babies, has been shown to have important long-term benefits, Sullivan said, but best practices aren’t always realized in hospitals.

“For maternal and newborn health, knowledge is a powerful and lifesaving tool,” president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Patrick Conway said in a release. “Increasing access to prenatal resources and postnatal support in our communities is a vital part of empowering and improving the health and outlook of North Carolina’s families.”

In the first days, promoting frequent contact between mother and child helps babies regulate their internal temperatures, Sullivan said, and allows mothers to learn important behavior cues.

The baby-friendly program promotes breastfeeding, but the programs serve all mothers, Sullivan said, those who breastfeed or those who choose to feed with formula.

Currently, there are 15 hospitals in North Carolina that are designated baby-friendly. There are two in the Triangle, both in Chapel Hill: UNC hospitals and the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Experts Present Efforts to Combat Opioid-Related Deaths in Campus Community
At the most recent UNC BOT meeting, researchers and health professionals shared what the university is doing to combat opioid overdoses on campus.
UNC, Duke Experts Predict NC Will Run Out of Hospital Beds in 6 Weeks
According to new research from UNC and Duke, if current COVID-19 trends continue in North Carolina, hospitals could run out of beds for treating patients in six weeks.
UNC Research Study Helps Local Businesses Stay Safe During Pandemic
A team of UNC public health experts created a new initiative and research study to provide free technical assistance and recommendations to help reduce local businesses’ exposure to COVID-19.
UNC Researchers Involved in New COVID-19 Treatment Drug Heading to Clinical Trials
Researchers at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health aided the development of a new antiviral drug meant to treat COVID-19 patients, which is now heading to testing in human clinical trials. According to a study published Monday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, UNC virologists have been testing a new drug, called EIDD-2801, in collaboration with researchers […]
Are Doctors Willing To Be "Good Samaritans"? UNC Study Says Yes
Good Samaritan laws protect doctors who help in emergencies - but a UNC study has found they tend to help anyway.
5 UNC Football Players Earn All-ACC Recognition
A quintet of Tar Heels earned all-conference recognition from the ACC Tuesday. Defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude was named to the ACC’s second team, while receiver Jordan Shipp, kicker Rece Verhoff and linebackers Khmori House and Andrew Simpson each received honorable mention nods. Abou-Jaoude had a productive debut season as a Tar Heel after transferring in […]
Chansky's Notebook: Quad 1 Quality
UNC was looking for help from the perimeter to complement its leading inside scorers. And the Heels got it at the right time.
Derek Dixon's Late Buckets Lead UNC Men's Basketball Past No. 18 Kentucky
UNC’s defense held No. 18 Kentucky to just 8-23 shooting in the second half on its way to a 67-64 win in Lexington Tuesday night. It’s Carolina’s first win at the Wildcats’ Rupp Arena since 2007. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/rPZqtKTzFW — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 3, 2025 The Wildcats had shot 15-30 overall in […]
UNC Women's Basketball at Texas (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will head to Austin Thursday night to take on No. 2 Texas as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. It’s the first meeting between the Tar Heels and Longhorns in women’s basketball since 1981. If you aren’t making the trip with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping […]
UNC's Indya Nivar Named ACC Player of the Week
After recording just the second triple-double in program history and helping the Tar Heels go 3-0 at the Cancun Challenge in Mexico, UNC’s Indya Nivar has been named the ACC Player of the Week. Indya Nivar – A Defensive Mastermind. 𝗔𝗖𝗖 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 pic.twitter.com/HqKAQh9ULO — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) December 1, 2025 Against […]
›