Welcome to the Medela University

On February 26, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a key report on  the 55-billion-dollar formula industry and its negative impact on breastfeeding decisions. This webinar highlights key findings of the report and provide clinicians with tools to teach families why human milk matters. It is critical that families are presented with scientific evidence about the differences between human milk, donor milk and infant formula. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.   Presenter Diane Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN is a Professor of Perinatal Nursing & the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing sharing a joint appointment as a nurse researcher and director of the lactation program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the clinical coordinator of the CHOP Mothers’ Milk Bank. Read more

In this webinar we discuss maternal-neonatal risk factors where expression of human milk should be implemented in the first 3 days of life to support an optimal milk supply. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.   Presenter Darlene Silver, MSN, RN, IBCLC For over 30 years, Darlene’s career has primarily focused on the care of women, infants and children, as well as nursing education with a commitment to working in underserved communities. She currently works as the lead lactation consultant in the Women’s Services Department at the George Washington University Hospital. She provides direct patient care. She also educates newly hired nurses, lactation consultant interns and medical students on the care and management of breastfeeding dyads and human lactation. In addition, she participates in multidisciplinary committees and workgroups to revise and develop evidence-based protocols and policies. Darlene has served on the Board of Directors for three non-profit organizations. Two focusing on increasing the number of students from underserved communities to pursue careers in nursing, medicine, healthcare and STEM professions, and one providing community based residential care and services to individuals and families with long-term mental health challenges in Prince George’s County. She fervently believes in community service and regularly volunteers in community based activities sponsored by local, state and national organizations dedicated to health and wellness. Read more

Colostrum has long been referred to as “liquid gold,” but what exactly makes it so special?  In this webinar for healthcare providers, we will discuss the nutritional, but even more importantly, the amazing immunological and anti-infective properties of colostrum. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.   Presenter Rebecca Hoban, MD MPH Dr Rebecca Hoban is a staff neonatologist and the Director of Breastfeeding Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (“SickKids”) in Toronto, and an Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. Dr Hoban graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed a paediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Tufts University, and a MPH at Harvard before joining the Neonatology and Human Milk Research team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr Hoban joined SickKids in 2017 as neonatology staff, with a focus on human milk. Current projects include improving mother’s milk provision in the NICU, milk biomarkers to predict lactation success, inflammatory markers in human milk, and fresh milk as potential stem cell therapy in premature infants with intraventricular haemorrhage. Read more

Learn about the latest recommendations, research, and best practices with regards to human milk handling within the healthcare setting and consider ideas to implement within your hospital to improve patient safety. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.   Presenter Caroline Steele, MS, RD, CSP, IBCLC, FAND Caroline Steele is the Director of Clinical Nutrition and Lactation at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Caroline is a pediatric registered dietitian with over 26 years of experience. She is a Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.  Caroline has many professional publications and is a frequent lecturer on a variety of topics including breastmilk and formula handling, parenteral nutrition, and malnutrition documentation. She is also the co-editor and an author of the 2019 3rd edition of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ publication Infant and Pediatric Feedings: Guidelines for Breastmilk and Formula Preparation in Health Care Facilities and was an author in the 2nd edition of the publication. Read more

All babies deserve access to the best nutrition possible. For very low birthweight babies, breast milk is not just the best nutritional source, it is a medical necessity. However, not all mothers are able to breastfeed. Human Milk Banks provide a valuable service to ensure that the most  vulnerable infants have access to human milk to help them develop, heal and thrive when mother’s own milk is not available or not enough to feed her baby. This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.   Presenter Jonathan Bautista Jonathan Bautista is the Executive Director at San Jose Mothers’ Milk Bank and loves helping people plan, measure, and optimise operations. He has spent the majority of his career in the blood banking industry, gaining experiences in areas such as quality, manufacturing, and operations. He obtained his Bachelors in Medical Technology from the University of Kansas, and a Masters in Organisational Leadership from Regis University. Jonathan’s focus is on the mission of San Jose Mothers’ Milk Bank, which is, enhancing the availability of donor human milk for all babies. Read more

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. Read more