Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center has been designated a Baby-Friendly hospital, and is the only hospital in the greater Long Beach area to receive that distinction, according to a statement from St. Mary.

In order to qualify for the designation, according to Baby-Friendly USA, nursing staff must learn about important topics regarding prenatal education and be able to teach mothers how to breastfeed.

“The criteria are challenging, as they are designed to set the standards for the best possible breastfeeding support for mother and infant in the maternity setting, insuring high quality of care in this critical area of mother/baby care,” said Trish MacEnroe, executive director of Baby-Friendly USA in a statement.

Stacie Amarantos, director of maternal child services at St. Mary, said this means the hospital’s patients and their newborns have a healthier start to their lives together.

“Most parents prefer a baby-friendly hospital, where the babies are not separated from their parents at any time. The babies are calmer and get a better start at breastfeeding,” she said in a statement.

St. Mary delivers more than 2,700 babies each year and has worked toward the Baby-Friendly status for five years, the hospital said in a statement.