Hot Topics in Breastfeeding

Description

Hot Topics in Breastfeeding is lactation education sessions for local WIC agencies, health departments, hospitals and healthcare professionals offered via Webex once a quarter. Each session will focus on a topic related to lactation management and care of the chest/breastfeeding dyad. These sessions are hosted and funded by the Region I WIC Lactation Area Training Center for Health.

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January 28, 2025
Milk Banking Panel Discussion

Parents may ask you about donor human milk for their infant and about sharing their milk with another infant. This panel discussion will showcase the expansion of the North Carolina Human Donor Milk Program with presentations on the medical and nutritional significance of donor milk, how to become an approved milk donor, and the processing of milk after it is received by the milk bank prior to distribution to infants. Data that has been collected since the expansion of the Human Donor Milk Program will be discussed as well as the plan for moving forward with milk banking in North Carolina and information on how you can get involved.

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April 22, 2025
Impact of Food Insecurity on Breastfeeding

This presentation is an in-depth exploration of the relationship between food insecurity and breastfeeding. This presentation will assess progress toward achieving Healthy People 2030 breastfeeding goals, examine barriers and disparities faced by parents in food-insecure households, and highlight the health and economic implications of breastfeeding. We will also discuss evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations to support breastfeeding in food-insecure populations, providing insights for healthcare providers, policymakers, and community advocates.

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July 22, 2025
From Response to Resilience: The NCBfC's Journey in SAFE Infant Feeding Post-Helene

In September 2024, residents of Western North Carolina were faced with the worst natural disaster to ever hit the region. Homes and lives were lost, families were without electricity and access to safe water for weeks, and parents were concerned about feeding their infants and young children. During the disaster, help came to the region in the form of volunteers from the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition. These volunteers spent endless hours providing guidance to shelter and food distribution sites on safe infant and young child feeding. This session will look at the challenges faced with infant feeding in the early days post-Helene and strategies implemented to support and build more resilient families.

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Target Audience

Healthcare Professionals, Nutritionists, Dietitians, Social Workers, Public Health Nurses, Peer Support Specialists, and Nurses, Emergency Preparedness Coordinators

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Faculty

• Meghan D. Causey, BSN, RN, RNC-MNN
• Sonja Emerson, MSN, MPH, RN, IBCLC
• Norma O. Escobar, IBCLC, FILCA
• Kerrie A. Gottschall, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC
• Brandi A. Harrison, BS, IBCLC
• Erin Hoffman, MS, RDN, LDN
• Maryanne T. Perrin, PhD, MBA, RD
• Courtney Ramsey-Coleman, MS, RDN, LDN