Infants with critical congenital heart disease (CHD) are among the most vulnerable neonates and experience extremely low rates of human milk feeding and direct breast/chestfeeding. Until recently, there has been little evidence on this topic, with concurrent variation in feeding practice across clinical sites.

This session will discuss a series of recent studies examining the prevalence of human milk and breastfeeding for infants with critical CHD, identifying supportive and limiting factors of these feeding practices, and investigating the impact of human milk and breastfeeding on key health outcomes in this population. Qualitative findings from lactating parents of infants with critical CHD will further describe the process by which direct breastfeeding can be established with these vulnerable infants.

This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.

Presenter

Kristin Elgersma, DM, MN, RN, PhD (C)

Kristin Elgersma, DM, MN, RN, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, a current NIH NRSA F31 Fellow, and a parent of a child born with critical congenital heart disease (CHD). Her work focuses on feeding for infants with CHD, with a particular interest in human milk feeding and direct breastfeeding as a means of optimizing infant health and providing family-centered, developmental care. Dr. Elgersma holds previous doctoral and master's degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University.