CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) – The Oklahoma State Department of Health says Claremore Indian Hospital has been designated a “Baby Friendly” hospital for its maternity care.

It’s the first hospital in the state to receive the designation from the Baby Friendly Health Initiative, which is a global initiative from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Baby Friendly hospitals encourage breastfeeding and mother-baby bonding by allowing skin-to-skin contact between mother and child immediately after birth.

Other hospitals in Oklahoma are working to achieve the designation. They are: Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in Ada, Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, INTEGRIS Health in Edmond, Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, OU Medical Center in Edmond and St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City.