GOLD Learning Speakers

In Lebanon, nearly all mothers attempt to initiate breastfeeding. Despite high initiation rates, only 40% of mothers exclusively breastfed through the first month and nationally, a mere 2.4% continued to exclusively breastfeed between 4 and 5 months. Early weaning is a pressing public health concern as infant and under-5 morbidity rates are high. Environmental issues like water quality and sanitation can be problematic when supplemental formula or contaminated water is used. This presentation examines the breastfeeding trends in Lebanon and explores the complex and often overlapping historical, social, cultural, economic and policy determinants behind early weaning. Next, this presentation analyzes newly emerging factors such as the power of social media, collaboration of lactation specialists and the rise of influential mother support networks. The presentation will conclude by highlighting the growing breastfeeding support infrastructure in Lebanon, for the most part, facilitated by breastfeeding mothers themselves.

Are you a lactation professional or health care provider looking for ways to engage your audience? Whether your audience is breastfeeding families, parents-to-be, peer counselors, volunteers, health care professionals or lactation specialists, then this presentation is for you! In it, I will show how creative solutions can overcome a lack of resources or technology to provide mothers and families with engaging and effective breastfeeding support. This session will cover innovative and interactive educational strategies and activities that can be used to capture your audience’s attention and to encourage them to retain vital information and strategies to help them breastfeed. These concepts are practical and applicable to all types of settings, including but not limited to: breastfeeding support groups, lectures and presentations, training sessions, webinars, seminars and one-on-one lactation consultations. Moreover, they are easily modifiable to fit the needs of different populations and cultures. As many lactation professionals work in low-income communities or resource-poor settings that frequently lack many of the latest gadgets and expensive lactation aids, this presentation will offer demonstrations and tutorials of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) options that can ensure that breastfeeding mothers and families get the best support possible, even when resources are scarce.

Lactation professionals can provide invaluable assistance to Muslim families seeking to successfully breastfeed. However, cultural differences and a lack of understanding of Islamic culture could create barriers between professionals and the families they are trying to support. It is crucial that professionals and health care providers are aware of and acknowledge the unique role that culture and religion can play in this dynamic, both to prevent obstacles to breastfeeding and to encourage breastfeeding through culturally specific methods and arguments. This presentation will show how to adapt your approach, language and content to ensure effective and sensitive care that will be more readily accepted by the mother and her family. It explores what the Qur’an says about breastfeeding and delves into traditional and cultural Islamic attitudes and practices surrounding breastfeeding. Moreover, it will explore the father’s role in Muslim culture and offer religious justification to encourage him to support breastfeeding, as well as issues of wet-nursing, milk sharing and adoption (as it relates to breastfeeding) within the Islamic context. As a participant, you will be encouraged to challenge your own assumptions about Islamic traditional and cultural practices and to use new knowledge gained to empower others to reflect on the benefits of being a culturally sensitive and responsive lactation professional and health care provider.

Breastfeeding rates are exceptionally low in Lebanon. Only 40% of mothers exclusively breastfed through the first month and 2.4% continued to exclusively breastfeed between 4 and 5 months. In 2012, I developed, implemented and evaluated a pilot Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BPC) Training Program in Beirut, Lebanon. I chose this format since BPCs are adaptable to local contexts and studies have shown that that improve rates of breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity in a variety of settings and across diverse populations. The program successfully trained 8 BPCs and led directly to the establishment of the largest mother-to-mother peer breastfeeding online support network in the Middle East (over 11,000 members to date). This presentation will provide participants with the knowledge to develop, adapt, and implement their own BPC Training programs suited to their local context. In addition, this presentation will reflect upon ethical considerations of such programs and will offer guidance on the process of program evaluation. This will allow participants to identify their own program’s strengths and weaknesses, which can improve the effectiveness of subsequent organizations.

Mast Cell diseases are rare but still underdiagnosed. Even among specialists, there is a lack of consensus on terminology, diagnostic techniques and even diagnostic criteria. Clinically, mast cell diseases manifest in divergent ways. Triggers, symptoms, management and treatments differ widely from patient to patient. To date, there is no cure, just palliative management of this chronic, sometimes life-threatening condition. Because of this, there is a poor understanding of Mast Cell-related issues in the broader medical community, particularly in the realms of pregnancy, birth and lactation. This webinar will provide participants with a general overview and understanding of the various types of Mast Cell Diseases including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Mast Cell Activation Disease (MCAD) and Mastocytosis. Participants will learn how to put this knowledge into practice to provide their Mast Cell clients with specialized, empathetic, and supportive care. It will discuss how to provide patient-centered care, the importance of coordinated care and the crucial role lactation specialists play within their client’s multidisciplinary health care team. It will examine Mast Cell treatments that are compatible with lactation. Additionally, light will shed on approaches lactation specialists can utilize to empower their clients with the tools needed to establish and maintain the breastfeeding relationship desired, including helping clients manage their parenting and breastfeeding expectations given the limitations imposed by their disease.