Gleneagles hops to baby first

Cheng Wong

Gleneagles Hospital has earned recognition as Hong Kong's first and only private baby-friendly hospital through comprehensive support for new mothers, utilizing methodologies like kangaroo care to assist with breastfeeding in preterm babies.

Nurse manager Grace Hui Wan-kam, also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, said kangaroo care significantly benefits infants in neonatal intensive care by promoting brain growth and enabling close contact with mothers.

Gleneagles won recognition from the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association in September for its standards of care for those expecting, breastfeeding mothers and infants.

There are 10 baby-friendly hospitals.

Latest statistics show more than 90 percent of mothers who gave birth at Gleneagles in 2023 were breastfeeding upon discharge.

Hui noted that providing kangaroo care for at least three hours a day helps infants overcome developmental challenges associated with prematurity, increases mothers' milk supply and fosters bonding.

Take Janet, for example, whose baby was born six weeks early in August. With the help of nurses and adopting the method, her baby was eventually able to drink breast milk independently.

"I was nervous about whether I could produce enough breast milk, and the nurses offered me guidance and intensive care, helping me to massage my breasts to stimulate milk," she said.

Hui said the hospital provides comprehensive support through various prenatal and postnatal initiatives, including the lactation clinic run by IBCLC and 24-hour rooming in service.