by Nina Vaclavikova
Interviews: Laura Travan, Director of Neonatology and Intensive Care at the Burlo hospital, Giuseppe Masnata, Member of the National Board of Directors of UNICEF Italy; Riccardo Riccardi, FVG councilor for healthcare
The Burlo Garofolo pediatric hospital in Trieste has received recognition from UNICEF for its approach to maternity and child care, including support for breastfeeding, family involvement and efforts to make the hospital environment more welcoming for mothers and children.
The recognition highlights a model of care that seeks to reduce the institutional feel of hospitalization while maintaining high medical and research standards. The approach emphasizes the relationship between mothers and newborns from the earliest moments after birth.
Francesca Tosolini, the hospital’s director general, said the initiative was intended to extend care beyond its strictly medical dimension.
“The aim is to move beyond the purely health care aspect, while safeguarding the high standards of treatment and research that the institute provides,” Tosolini said. “It is also about developing a more human approach during this particularly important period, encouraging contact between mothers and babies from the very beginning.”
The model remains relatively uncommon in Italy, where only a limited number of health care facilities have achieved comparable standards. Giuseppe Masnada, a member of UNICEF Italy’s board, said the Burlo Garofolo experience could serve as an example for the national health system.
“Breastfeeding rates in Italy unfortunately remain below the world average, by about 10 percentage points,” Masnada said.
The recognition reflects an approach that places emphasis not only on medical treatment but also on the experience of families, seeking to make hospitalization less difficult for mothers and children.
Riccardo Riccardi, the regional health councillor, said the assessment took into account both medical expertise and the hospital’s relationship with patients and their families.
“Evaluations are based not only on health care skills but also on the relationship with families, mothers and the people who interact with this institution,” Riccardi said. He added that the international recognition confirmed the hospital’s standing.
