About this event
Early, Unplanned Cessation of Lactation in Healthy and At-Risk Populations: Priorities for Research and Practice
Special Issue, Breastfeeding Medicine, July 2025
Description:
Early, unplanned cessation of lactation is common among mothers delivering both term and preterm infants, with low volume cited as a primary etiology. In this webinar, we highlight new data from a special edition of Breastfeeding Medicine focused on this important topic. The webinar will target the underlying biologic risks to the achievement of secretory activation and the upregulation of autocrine/paracrine control of milk synthesis and secretion-- often overlooked in strategies calling for additional “support”. These achievements incur maternal opportunity costs, and are exacerbated in mothers with complications of pregnancy and birth. Early postpartum mammary gland stimulation and effective and efficient milk removal strategies that optimize long-term milk volume in both populations will be emphasized. Also included will be the utility of point-of-care techniques to identify and mitigate early lactation risks for mothers of both healthy and at-risk infants. The overall focus of the webinar is to equip front-line lactation care providers with data-driven tools and messaging for families in their care.
Objectives:
- Discuss the biologic underpinnings of early, unplanned cessation of lactation within a framework of overall biologic, behavioral and economic risk, with an emphasis on maternal co-morbidities of pregnancy and birth.
- Delineate the critical role of frequent, effective and efficient mammary gland stimulation and milk removal in the achievement of secretory activation and the establishment of an adequate threshold milk volume.
- Describe the utility of point-of-care techniques, including the use of milk biomarkers and the measurement of milk transfer, to identify and manage low milk volume and/or low milk intake by the infant.
This program has been approved for 1.0 Contact Hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #13692
Hosted by
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Guest speaker
Paula MeierG
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Guest speaker
Rebecca HobanG
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Guest speaker
Leslie ParkerG
Dr. Leslie Parker’s research involves nutritional support of the premature infant with an emphasis on breastfeeding infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research to study (1) the risks and benefits of routine gastric residual aspiration and evaluation in very premature infants and (2) the optimal timing of initiation of milk expression following the delivery of a very premature infant. She recently received a 2018 Research Opportunity grant to study strategies to increase lactation success in mothers of extremely premature infants. She received a UF Term Professorship award in 2017. Dr. Parker is board-certified as a neonatal nurse practitioner by the National Certification Corporation. She has an active practice as a neonatal nurse practitioner in the NICU at UF Health.
Medela Webinars
Turning Science into CareWe believe in turning science into care. Offering solutions based on deep insights into research and nature. Listening to real needs. For the benefit of mothers, patients and healthcare professionals.
