Family-Oriented Hospital Initiative

Certification program promoting respectful, evidence-based maternity care worldwide.

Humane, Evidence-Based Obstetric Care

The Family-Oriented Hospital Initiative provides a framework for humane, evidence-based obstetric care based on respect for the natural birth process, including allowing partner presence during childbirth, avoiding unnecessary interventions such as routine inductions or episiotomies, ensuring immediate skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborn, and supporting early breastfeeding. Hospitals that adopt these guidelines and pass a comprehensive audit receive certification as NESA Centers of Family-Oriented Obstetrics, with the first certification awarded to a French hospital in 2019 and growing interest from ministries of health across Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Testimonials consistently report higher satisfaction, better birth experiences, and improved clinical outcomes, demonstrating that high-quality obstetric care and respectful, humane treatment are complementary elements of excellence.