Ethics for Lactation Professionals Online Course(s) & Continuing Education
Access the latest clinical skills and research for Ethics for Lactation Professionals for Lactation & Breastfeeding professional training. These Ethics for Lactation Professionals online courses provide practice-changing skills and valuable perspectives from leading global experts. This Ethics for Lactation Professionals education has been accredited for a variety of CEUs / CERPs and can be accessed on-demand, at your own pace.
Robyn Lee is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the University of Alberta. Previously, she was visiting scholar at the Brocher Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Brock University. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University. Her research interests include contemporary social theory, gender, sexuality, care work, and embodiment. She is the author of The Ethics and Politics of Breastfeeding: Power, Pleasure, Poetics, published by University of Toronto Press (2018) and has published articles in journals including Feminist Theory, Hypatia, Gender, Work, and Organization, and Family Theory and Review.
This presentation will explore some contemporary ethical issues in breastfeeding, situating them in social contexts. Issues to be explored will include social responsibilities vs individual responsibilities, social disparities and inequalities, and gender identity/expression.
Pauline Sakamoto's nursing career in milk banking started as a volunteer donor to the Mothers’ Milk Bank in San Jose 35 years ago. Previously, she worked at the County Health Department of San Bernardino as a Public Health Nurse in the largest county in the US covering the Hi Desert. She was also employed by the CA State Department of Health, Fiscal Intermediary Management Division for Medi-Cal. Her experience with the nonprofit San Jose Milk Bank for 35 years included processing and operations, the screening of donors and dispensing of donor human milk for inpatient and outpatient services, administration of the San Jose Mothers’ Milk Bank for over 20 years and concurrently leadership roles in the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Currently, she serves on multiple committees within HMBANA regarding policies and standards, auditing member banks, and reviews legislative and state statutes on milk banking and lactation. She has been representing HMBANA at the US Breastfeeding Committee for over 9 years and served on the Board of USBC for 6 years. Internationally, in 2012-14, she served on PATH’s Milk Banking Policy Group and continues to work internationally on issues on processing and safety. She has stepped down from the Executive Director position at the Milk Bank in 2019 but continue to pursue her passion on milk banking (half time in the office) and Lactation.
This session will explore the ethical issues of milk collection, priority use and distribution. Currently, there are limited regulations and cultural norms regarding human milk. Is it a human tissue or food? Is human milk a commodity? How does this relate to the treatment of women and their infants? What is the current status of access to human milk and equity of services? What does “safe milk” mean? This session is to explore the current condition of ethical issues surrounding human milk, “liquid gold”…the panacea for life for the most vulnerable in our society.
Professor Lisa Amir is a general practitioner and has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1989. She is the author of over 120 peer-reviewed articles on breastfeeding. She works in breastfeeding medicine at The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. She is a Principal Research Fellow at Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University and is the Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal, International Breastfeeding Journal.
Topic: Ethical Issues in the Use of Medications During Lactation - [View Abstract]
Topic: Taking a Lactation History: From Pregnancy to Postpartum and Beyond - [View Abstract]
Topic: Urban Design Solutions to Support Breastfeeding in Public - [View Abstract]
Public health ethics relates to moral implications of activities aimed at maintaining and improving population health. Public health researchers embrace participation of affected populations in all stages of research from design to translation. In the past, pharmaceutical companies have avoided the issue of women’s reproductive life and excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women from the drug development process and then advised prescribers to avoid their medications in pregnancy and lactation. Therefore, when clinicians need to prescribe medications during lactation, they do this off-label, often without evidence or guidance regarding optimal dosing or treatment recommendations. Application of the concept of equity should ensure that all groups, including breastfeeding parents, are not neglected and receive directly targeted interventions to improve their health outcomes. The ethical frame which routinely excluded participants who may be pregnant or lactating from clinical trials, is now being turned around to recognise that these groups have the right to be included.
Human Rights During Birth and Lactation: Health Care Providers as Human Rights Defenders
Indra Lusero is founder of Elephant Circle and the Birth Rights Bar Association. As a Queer, Genderqueer, Latinx parent rooted in the Rocky Mountain West, Indra is attuned to the importance of people on the margins and our role in leading the dismantling of oppressive systems to build a more equitable world. Indra helped pass legislation in Colorado to eliminate the shackling of incarcerated women during pregnancy and birth, to improve midwifery and birth center regulations, and to create more humane policies for families impacted by substance use. Indra also spearheaded the creation of "Birth Rights: A resource for everyday people to defend human rights during labor and birth.
Human rights violations related to childbearing are an international phenomenon. Such violations have only recently been recognized by organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations, and avenues for accountability and redress remain limited across the globe. Nonetheless, empowering health care providers, including lactation professionals, with the confidence and courage to be human rights defenders is a critical step in vanquishing these harms and protecting people from conception through lactation.
Keeping the Fox Out of the Chicken Coop: Safeguarding Your Reputation Against Baby Feeding Industry Influence
Michelle Pensa Branco MPH IBCLC is a lactation consultant and public health advocate. In addition to her clinical practice, which has included in-hospital, outpatient and private practice settings, she advocates for improved maternal-child health practices at the local, national and global level. She has a particular interest in the impact of trauma to breastfeeding families, models of peer support to improve breastfeeding outcomes and the application of health communication principles to the promotion and protection of breastfeeding. Michelle serves as the Director of Peer Support Programs and provides clinical lactation expertise for Nurture Project International, the only international NGO focused exclusively on infant feeding in emergencies. With Jodine Chase, she co-founded a Canadian non-profit organization, SafelyFed Canada. She is also an active member of the Ontario Public Health Association’s Breastfeeding Promotion Working Group. Michelle has previously served as the Vice-Chair of La Leche League Canada, the Communications Director for the Canadian Lactation Consultants Association as well as the Toronto Coordinator of INFACT Canada. When she is not travelling for work, Michelle stays close to home, living with her family just outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Topic: Keeping the Fox Out of the Chicken Coop: Safeguarding Your Reputation Against Baby Feeding Industry Influence - [View Abstract]
Topic: Playing Well with Others: Collaborating in High Conflict/Low Trust Settings - [View Abstract]
Topic: Watching Our Words: Is Risk-Based Language Always the Right Choice? - [View Abstract]
Adhering to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and relevant subsequent WHA resolutions (the Code) is a personal and professional obligation for IBCLCs and breastfeeding helpers and advocates. Beyond that, we are often called upon to provide advice and support to the organizations we work for and support in respect of their Code obligations.
Jessica Lee is a Staff Attorney at the Center for WorkLife Law, and co-founder of the Center’s Nursing Mothers Law Project. She works to advance gender equality in the workplace and in education, and is a nationally recognized expert on discrimination related to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Lee has provided know-your-rights resources and training on workplace supports for breastfeeding to thousands of healthcare providers, public health practitioners, and employers. She also seeks to prevent discrimination by working with institutions to draft and implement family-responsive policies.
Lee’s writing has been featured in publications ranging from Harvard Business Review and The Chronicle of Higher Education to the journals Breastfeeding Medicine and Midwifery and Women’s Health. She is a co-author of the study, Exposed: Discrimination Against Breastfeeding Workers.
One of the most challenging experiences on a parent’s lactation journey is managing return to work. When lactating workers have access to both time and space for expressing breast milk, they are more likely to meet their breast/chestfeeding goals, yet many struggle to access these simple accommodations. Participants will gain an understanding of how workplace conditions influence lactation, become familiar with key legal principles protecting lactating parents in the workplace, and, learn strategies to ethically support their clients in reducing workplace barriers to continued lactation.
Milk Sharing and Milk Banking: Building Knowledge for Better Outcomes
Barbara D. Robertson, IBCLC, has been involved in education for over 34 years. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1988 and her Master’s in Education in 1995. Barbara left teaching elementary students in 1995 to raise her two children. Barbara is now the Director of The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor and of the brand new business LactaLearning.
The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor will still continue to serve breast/chestfeeding families and now LactaLearning will be dedicated to all of Barbara’s professional lactation trainings. Barbara has developed two 95 hour professional lactation training, a group training and a completely self study training with Nancy Mohrbacher. Barbara’s idea of creating professional book groups has exploded with her hosting Making More Milk with Lisa Marasco, Supporting Sucking Skills with Cathy Watson Genna, Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition with Nancy Mohrbacher, and new for the fall, Safe Infant Sleep with Dr. James McKenna. Barbara will be hosting a one day online conference in the fall with Lisa Marasco and Cathy Watson Genna using all of her tech savvy skills to make this a one of a kind experience. Barbara is also a speaker for hire on a wide variety of topics including Motivational Interviewing. Barbara volunteered for the United States Lactation Consultation Association as the Director of Professional Development for 4.5 years.
She just retired as Associate Editor for Clinical Lactation, a journal she helped create for USLCA. Barbara has free podcasts, a blog, and Youtube videos which can all be found on her websites lactalearning.com and bfcaa.com. She has written many articles as well. She loves working with parents and babies, helping them with breast/chestfeeding problems in whatever way she can.
Topic: Breastfeeding: Baby’s First Milestone - [View Abstract]
Topic: Clinical Assessment and Management of Low Milk Production - [View Abstract]
Topic: Deconstructing Online Messaging: Ethical Considerations - [View Abstract]
Topic: Milk Sharing and Milk Banking: Building Knowledge for Better Outcomes - [View Abstract]
Topic: The Baby's Not Gaining Weight! Now What? - [View Abstract]
Topic: The Great Nipple Shield Debate - [View Abstract]
Humans have been sharing their breastmilk for the benefit of other babies for thousands of years. In this presentation, we will be looking at how a baby might have access to human milk if their parent cannot provide it themselves. The history and current practices of milk banking, both for profit and non-profit, will be covered as well as milk sharing.
View Details / Enroll
Research Ethics & Infant Feeding: How to Utilise the Four 'D's of a Brief Assessment
Zainab Yate is a Biomedical Ethicist, with a specialist interest in infant feeding. Zainab is Vice Chair and named qualitative lead on a paediatric flagged Research Ethics Committee Panel for the Health Research Authority (HRA) in the UK, reviewing research protocols for over a decade. Zainab's previous working background is in Public Health and Commissioning the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. She had also been a volunteer breastfeeding peer supporter with the NHS for a number of years, is the owner-author of the resource site for mothers and healthcare practitioners on Breastfeeding / Nursing Aversion and Agitation and author of "When Breastfeeding Sucks".
Topic: Breastfeeding / Nursing Aversion and Agitation (BAA) in breastfeeding mothers - [View Abstract]
Topic: Research Ethics & Infant Feeding: How to Utilise the Four 'D's of a Brief Assessment - [View Abstract]
Research ethics institutions protect the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of research participants, and also have a duty to ensure ‘good’ research. Conducting poor research is unethical, and there are many studies in the field of breastfeeding and lactation that have been challenged when published, simply because their findings and results are, at best, incorrect. Proper definitions, project design and industry conflict of interest are important factors, and these can be critiqued and challenged at the ethical review stage.
Participants will learn how to use the method of the '4 Ds of a Brief Assessment' to scrutinise the research questions, definitions of words used, disclosures and even the research methodology to decide if a study will have both scientific and ethical merit in the field of breastfeeding and lactation. If you are a donor, an applicant, a manager or a researcher you need to be aware of the process of ethical review of research protocols, the possibility of specialist review, and also of how to sift through published studies that have questionable study designs, and the findings.
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas Using a Qualitative Study and Case Examples
Joy Noel-Weiss RN IBCLC is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa. Dr. Noel-Weiss researches breastfeeding and human lactation. Professor Noel-Weiss' doctoral research study was titled Relationship Between Intravenous Fluids Given to Women During Parturition and Their Breastfed Newborns' Weight Loss. Her Masters' research was a randomized controlled trial testing a prenatal breastfeeding workshop designed to increase maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy. For future research, Dr. Noel-Weiss is developing tools to measure infant feeding patterns and to measure clinicians' confidence in their ability (i.e., their self-efficacy) to support individuals who choose to breastfeed.
In addition to these quantitative studies, Dr. Noel-Weiss recently completed qualitative research about ethical dilemmas and lactation consultants and about mothers' experiences using baby scales in their homes. Currently, Dr. Noel-Weiss works with a research team as the principal investigator on a research study titled Transmasculine Individuals' Experiences with Pregnancy, Birthing and Feeding Their Newborns. The study is funded with an operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Gender and Health.
Dr. Noel-Weiss chairs the International Lactation Consultants Association's Ethics and International Code Committee and co-chairs the uOttawa School of Nursing's working group for joint appointees and adjuncts. She has a cross appointment to the Ottawa Hospital and is a member of The Ottawa Hospital Nursing Research Work Group. Recently, Dr. Noel-Weiss became a member of the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program's Breastfeeding Promotion Committee.
In this session, Professor Noel-Weiss explains and defines bioethics, principles of bioethics, and ethical dilemmas. She presents results from her research study about IBCLCs and ethical dilemmas and uses case studies to demonstrate how to identify and resolve ethical dilemmas.
Annie Frisbie has been an IBCLC in private practice since 2011. Her background is in media, where she worked very closely with producers, content developers, and tech thought leaders on business strategy, content development, contracts, legal clearances, and more. She has also produced training for professional media software solutions as well as created and managed print and video content for media professionals.
In 2018 she was honored with the US Lactation Consultant Association's President's Award, "awarding those that demonstrate extraordinary service to the association and profession."
She is a produced screenwriter and proud member of the Writers Guild of America, East. She have a BA from Franklin and Marshall College, and an MA in Cinema Studies from New York University. In a previous life I was a film critic. I live with my husband and our two children in Queens, New York.
Topic: The Ethics of Digital Privacy and Lactation Practice - [View Abstract]
As healthcare providers incorporate technological solutions into their practices, they also face the increasingly complex task of protecting the privacy of their patients/clients. Some countries have laws in place that healthcare providers need to understand and follow, but all healthcare providers regardless of practice setting have an ethical responsibility to maintain rigorous standards when it comes to digital privacy.
Because technology changes so rapidly, keeping up-to-date with privacy regulations proves challenging for both large institutions and solo practitioners. Lactation must also be concerned with the privacy of more than one entity while serving a patient base that may have already faced numerous privacy and consent violations during pregnancy and childbirth. By valuing the privacy of lactating persons and their children, legal, ethical, and moral obligations can be met, enhancing client/patient autonomy and improving self-efficacy.
This session provides a framework for understanding digital privacy and privacy threats, and offers resources for implementing policies and procedures that protect patient/client privacy.
View Details / Enroll
