Infant Anatomy & Physiology Online Course(s) & Continuing Education
Access the latest clinical skills and research for Infant Anatomy & Physiology for Lactation & Breastfeeding professional training. These Infant Anatomy & Physiology online courses provide practice-changing skills and valuable perspectives from leading global experts. This Infant Anatomy & Physiology education has been accredited for a variety of CEUs / CERPs and can be accessed on-demand, at your own pace.


Dr. Gerner has been a Maternity and Pediatric Specialist in private practice for over 17 years with an additional focus on functional infant cranial work. She teaches other professionals to support breastfeeding across the USA and internationally. She is a wife, mother of 3 grown children, and lives in Northern CA with her husband and their 2 rescued dogs.
Topic: Introductions and Establishing the Value of Integration - [View Abstract]
Topic: Nitty Gritty Anatomy: The Cranium, Supporting Structure and the Muscle Layer - [View Abstract]
Topic: Tying It All Together- Consequences of Pathology and Ideal Collaboration - [View Abstract]
Breast is best! We all know that; however, often parent and child struggle so much at the beginning that breastfeeding either isn’t possible or the parent becomes discouraged and gives up. When feeding challenges occur, sometimes the problem is not with the mother’s technique, but rather with the baby himself- barriers within the alignment and tone of his body causing abnormal function and preventing normal breastfeeding. There can also be tethered oral tissues present (tongue or lip ties) causing even more dysfunction. This presentation focuses on: (1) why breastfeeding is best- nutritionally and neurologically; (2) The cause of imbalance- The birth process; (3) the importance of the integrative collaboration of therapists- i.e. the LC, DDS, chiropractor and/or cranial therapist.


Barbara Wilson-Clay became a La Leche League Leader in 1982. She certified as an IBCLC and entered private practice in Austin, Texas in 1987. Barbara was named a Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association in 2008. She recently retired from her practice, which specialized in difficult breastfeeding situations. With a client load of 400-450 visits yearly, Barbara garnered a wealth of clinical and counseling experience and a trove of clinical teaching photos. In partnership with Kay Hoover, she created The Breastfeeding Atlas, which was translated into Chinese in 2019 by Fudan University Press. A Korean translation will be published in September 2020.
Barbara has been a citizen advocate for breastfeeding in the Texas legislature and helped pass a landmark law protecting breastfeeding rights. She is one of the co-founders of the non-profit Mothers Milk Bank at Austin, and retired as Vice President of the Board of Directors in 2010. She continues to serve on the Advisory Board. Barbara's research and commentaries have appeared in the Journal of Human Lactation, Archives of Disease in Childhood, the International Breastfeeding Journal, and others. She has served on various editorial review boards and contributed chapters to several lactation textbooks.
Topic: Looking Both Ways: Taking Wisdom from the Past Into the Future - [View Abstract]
Topic: Looking Closely at The Baby - [View Abstract]
Topic: Maternal & Infant Assessment for Breastfeeding: Essential Concepts for Midwives - [View Abstract]
Clinical management of the breastfeeding mother and infant begins with accurate assessment of the issues that are affecting normal function. While breastfeeding is a dyadic activity, this presentation focuses on the infant. Specifically, the learner is invited to look closely at the individual baby, to observe facial tone and structure, and to identify any anomalies or restrictions in range-of-motion (such as those resulting from torticollis) that may negatively impact ability to breastfeed. Videos and photos will demonstrate both normal and abnormal presentations. Interventions will be proposed to assist infants who are unable to breastfeed so that they may continue to receive human milk, ideally from their own mothers, with an eventual goal of breastfeeding, if possible.

Neuromusculoskeletal Disorders in the Breastfed Baby: Causes, Assessment, & Treatment

Dr. Valérie Lavigne graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1998. In July 2005, she became an IBCLC, the first chiropractor in Quebec with the title. She has her fellowship in pediatrics from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and has graduated in November 2014 with a Master of Science in Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health from the Anglo-European Chiropractic College. She is working in private practice in her chiropractic clinic in Kirkland, Quebec.
How comfortable are you at identifying neuromusculoskeletal issues in babies. This lecture will explore the triad aspect of breastfeeding – neurological, muscular and skeletal. A review of the causes, main conditions combined with tips to help you recognize neuromusculoskeletal issues will provide you with a more astute eye during your evaluation. Treatment options will be reviewed in addition to a review of the chiropractic and lactation literature. This lecture should create awareness amongst health professionals about the importance of treating neuromusculoskeletal issues in baby to optimize breastfeeding!

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Nitty Gritty Anatomy: The Cranium, Supporting Structure and the Muscle Layer

Dr. Gerner has been a Maternity and Pediatric Specialist in private practice for over 17 years with an additional focus on functional infant cranial work. She teaches other professionals to support breastfeeding across the USA and internationally. She is a wife, mother of 3 grown children, and lives in Northern CA with her husband and their 2 rescued dogs.
Topic: Introductions and Establishing the Value of Integration - [View Abstract]
Topic: Nitty Gritty Anatomy: The Cranium, Supporting Structure and the Muscle Layer - [View Abstract]
Topic: Tying It All Together- Consequences of Pathology and Ideal Collaboration - [View Abstract]
Understanding the specific infant anatomy related to feeding function can unlock the mystery of why the baby is struggling and how to correct the problem. You will see very comprehensive video demonstration of normal function and easy to understand diagrams of common subluxation patterns. This presentation focuses on: (1) The infant cranial and spinal anatomy piece by piece and how it all interacts together; (2) The main muscles of breastfeeding function; (3) clinical presentations of common feeding challenges explained through the anatomy; and (4) correlations into other common infant pathologies of torticollis and Otitis Media.

Organization of tongue movements before and after frenotomy for posterior tongue-tie: an Ultrasound analysis

Catherine Watson Genna BS, IBCLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in New York City. Certified in 1992, Catherine is particularly interested in helping moms and babies breastfeed when they have medical challenges and is an active clinical mentor. She speaks to healthcare professionals around the world on assisting breastfeeding babies with anatomical, genetic or neurological problems. Her presentations and her writing are enriched by her clinical photographs and videos. Catherine collaborates with Columbia University and Tel Aviv University Departments of Biomedical Engineering on research projects investigating the biomechanics of the lactating nipple and various aspects of sucking and swallowing in breastfeeding infants. She is the author of Selecting and Using Breastfeeding Tools: Improving Care and Outcomes (Praeclarus Press 2009) and Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants (Jones and Bartlett Learning 2008, 2013, 2017) as well as professional journal articles and chapters in the Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice and Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. Catherine served as Associate Editor of the United States Lactation Consultant Association’s official journal Clinical Lactation for its first seven years.
Topic: Breastfeeding Strategies for Tongue-tied Infants - [View Abstract]
Topic: Critical Assessment of Apparent Tongue-Tie - [View Abstract]
Topic: Introduction to Cervical Auscultation - [View Abstract]
Topic: Lactation Support for Infant Biomedical Challenges - [View Abstract]
Topic: Organization of tongue movements before and after frenotomy for posterior tongue-tie: an Ultrasound analysis - [View Abstract]
Topic: Positioning and Latch for Breastfeeding - [View Abstract]
Topic: Positioning and Latch for Breastfeeding - [View Abstract]
Topic: Ultrasound Analysis of Sucking: Tongue-Tie and Confounders - [View Abstract]
Topic: Ultrasound Analysis of Sucking: Tongue-Tie and Confounders - [View Abstract]
Topic: Using Breastfeeding Supplementers - [View Abstract]
Topic: Using Breastfeeding Supplementers - [View Abstract]
Recent biomechanical analysis of tongue movements during breastfeeding has illuminated how healthy infants use their tongues to produce subatmospheric (negative) pressures and move milk in the mouth for swallowing. This talk reviews normal tongue kinematics during breastfeeding and extends this objective analysis to tongue-tied infants before and after frenotomy and briefly discusses the clinical implications of the changes seen in infants with ankyloglossia.
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Bryna is a lactation consultant, mentor, educator, and birth doula in the Pacific Northwestern United States. They are active in their community as an advocate for mutual aid, reproductive justice, and reduction in barriers to care. They also own and manage an inclusive private practice. As a member of both Queer and Neurodivergent communities, offering inclusive care on every level is very important to Bryna. Their vision is to offer information and tools to providers to build a community of comprehensive, concordant, and individualized care for all families in the perinatal period.
Topic: Breastfeeding With Ease: The Impact of Infant Reflex Emergence and Integration - [View Abstract]
Topic: Breastfeeding With Ease: The Impact of Infant Reflex Emergence and Integration - [View Abstract]
Topic: Rhythmic Movement for Breastfeeding Function - [View Abstract]
Disorganized or absent infant reflexes can create challenges for breastfeeding/chestfeeding. This presentation takes a close look at the role of movement in the integration of disorganized infant reflexes and the use of rhythmic movement as a method for overcoming infant feeding challenges. This talk also covers socio-cultural impacts of trauma, lack of opportunity for movement, and modern care system barriers to reflex integration.

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Sensory Integration and Breastfeeding

Nancy has been providing breastfeeding help and support for 40 years and has been a national speaker for 30. She has been a perinatal educator and consultant since the late 1970’s. Her second career is that of a Marriage and Family Therapist. Her passion is to explore the larger picture of the mother-baby dyad in the context of the breastfeeding relationship.
Topic: Teens and Breastfeeding - [View Abstract]
This session will look at sensory integration problems, now known as Sensory Processing Disorder. How might these difficulties impact the breastfeeding dyad and the family? We will describe this and present ideas on how to minimize the problems and support breastfeeding.

Structure and Function: Causes and Possible Long Term Consequences

Jaye Simpson started her career in lactation in 1995, becoming a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) through Lactation Institute. She then became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2000. In 2005, Jaye completed her training in infant massage and is a Certified Instructor of Infant Massage, tailoring her classes for parents whose babies have special needs and structural issues due to birth trauma. Specializing in working with babies with structural issues, Jaye’s studies and research led her to develop the Structure and Function training program in 2013, teaching professionals in the birth and breastfeeding fields how to evaluate infant structure and function as it relates to breastfeeding.
Topic: LGBTQ Parents and Lactation – An Exploration in LGBTQ Culture - [View Abstract]
Topic: Structure and Function: Causes and Possible Long Term Consequences - [View Abstract]
This program will discuss Infant structural concerns: why structural issues occur, what challenges structural issues can cause and potential long term effects. Discussion will focus on pregnancy and birth related causes, effects on breastfeeding and baby behavior, and the potential long term ramifications when missed or left untreated. Discussion will incorporate and stress why it is important to recognize structural issues as soon as possible after birth.