GOLD Learning Speakers

Recent research on epigentics has led medical professionals to query about how the environment impacts the developing baby both in utero and throughout its lifetime. The genome is the genetic information inherited from one's parents, but the epigenome is what determine how the genome is expressed. This deciphering process is effected by both the internal and external environment of an individual, including nutrition. Researchers are discovering that these epigenetic changes can influence not only one but multiple generations. The first nutrition for a human outside the womb is breastmilk, and thus the epigenetic impact of breastfeeding has long reaching potential. Discover the results of some of the latest research in the field of epigenetics and breastmilk - milksharing/wet nursing, breastmilk and epigenetic influence, and changes in gene expression and gut flora.

All human babies have the right to breastmilk exclusivity. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways - breastfeeding, expressed breastmilk via a feeding device, or pasteurized donor human milk. Recently there has been much attention placed on the traditional, though professionally frowned upon, practice of informal milk peer to peer milk sharing. The increasing popularity of milk sharing via social media, the growing attention on the importance of breastmilk exclusivity, the increasing awareness of potential dangers of artificial milk, and the inability for donor milk banks to provide donor milk for more than those in critical need has led professionals and families to an impass. Even though some professionals have warned against the practice, its use is becoming more widespread. Finding policy and recommended practices can be difficult. This presentation reviews the current challenges and realities of milk sharing while helping professionals provide best practice recommendations.

Recent research on epigentics has led medical professionals to query about how the environment impacts the developing baby both in utero and throughout its lifetime. The genome is the genetic information inherited from one's parents, but the epigenome is what determine how the genome is expressed. This deciphering process is effected by both the internal and external environment of an individual, including nutrition. Researchers are discovering that these epigenetic changes can influence not only one but multiple generations. The first nutrition for a human outside the womb is breastmilk, and thus the epigenetic impact of breastfeeding has long reaching potential. Discover the results of some of the latest research in the field of epigenetics and breastmilk - milksharing/wet nursing, breastmilk and epigenetic influence, and changes in gene expression and gut flora.

All human babies have the right to breastmilk exclusivity. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways - breastfeeding, expressed breastmilk via a feeding device, or pasteurized donor human milk. Recently there has been much attention placed on the traditional, though professionally frowned upon, practice of informal milk peer to peer milk sharing. The increasing popularity of milk sharing via social media, the growing attention on the importance of breastmilk exclusivity, the increasing awareness of potential dangers of artificial milk, and the inability for donor milk banks to provide donor milk for more than those in critical need has led professionals and families to an impass. Even though some professionals have warned against the practice, its use is becoming more widespread. Finding policy and recommended practices can be difficult. This presentation reviews the current challenges and realities of milk sharing while helping professionals provide best practice recommendations.

Attachment begins during pregnancy, not in the moments, weeks, and years post birth. This attachment, the motherbaby bond, is forged through an awareness of the biological and emotional connection between mother and child from the very earliest moments of conception. The internal world of the mother and child is now known to be a strong influence in the behavior, health, and personality of a child. This crucial prenatal period is impacted by emotional and nutritional experience of the mother and has a lot to do with who babies turn out to be. The prenatal attachment that occurs, regardless of a mother’s conscious awareness, is changing the brain development, personality, and genetic expression of her baby. At no other time in their child’s life do parents influence who that child will be, both emotionally and physically, than during the 0-3 period of life. We now know that prenatal chronic stress leads to babies who cry more, sleep less, and are anxious. A mother’s thoughts create chemical signals that literally form her baby’s brain and lead to a happy or anxious child. Mothers have the ability to influence healthy brain development and genetic expression during pregnancy through the motherbaby bond. This presentation discusses epigenetics, brain development, molecular messaging between mother and baby, and the impact of stress on the baby’s future health.

The relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum mood disorders has long been challenging for healthcare providers to completely understand. While the mental and sometimes physical challenges, as well as PMAD medications, can affect the breastfeeding relationship, the importance of continuing breastfeeding for the long-term genetic physical and mental health of the child is only now just beginning to be fully understood. Epigenetics, the environmental influence and expression of the genome, can be impacted by the breastmilk, the physical act of breastfeeding, and physical interaction between mother and child. During this presentation, you will develop an understanding of epigenetics, the role of breastmilk and breastfeeding behavior and our genes, and the epigenetic link that the past and future has to our mothering behaviors in the present.

It is an amazing feat that the female human can grow and nourish another human body. The two main organs that support this incredible venture are the placenta and breastmilk. There are some research theories that suggest that the maternal link between baby and mother created by the placenta is continued beyond pregnancy through the next vital maternal/baby organ, breastmilk. These two unique organs have many similar properties. They take cues from the maternal environment to change nutrition, hormones, and other developmental and immunological properties that are being sent to the baby. The placenta and breastmilk deliver properties to the baby solely based on its needs and changing environment. The role of both organs is to protect, defend, and support the development of the child. Each organ is perceptive and continuously fine tunes the delivery of essential molecules to the baby. They are intelligent organs, deciphering the environment and using that information to the benefit of the child. The placenta detects the mother’s emotions, nutritional state, and state of anxiety and sends messenger molecules and hormones to the baby to aide the baby’s development in a way that allows it to thrive in its future home outside the womb. Breastmilk has similar capabilities, using GALT and MALT and SIgA to help the baby’s brain, body, and immune system function in its unique world. This presentation takes you on a journey inside these organs to give you a profound lesson in the physical ties between mother and baby.

With the recent spread of the virus, Zika and the bacterial infection, Lyme Disease, many pregnant and breastfeeding families worry about the potential impact on their babies. There is a great deal of inaccurate information on the internet regarding these diseases that many parents encounter. Having good resources and current information on these emerging diseases is imperative for new families. This presentation will address transmission of the diseases, risks to babies prenatally and during breastfeeding, and precautions for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to take.

For more than a decade most lactation professions have been suggesting to families that diet matters very little in terms of breastmilk composition. We have told parents that they can essentially eat whatever they want, it does not matter to the bottom line. However, new studies imply that in fact, diet does matter in terms of the composition of fatty acids and essential nutrients available in milk that can potentially impact life long health. Studies also show that changes in diet can lead to gene methylation which impacts gene expression, as well changing the oligosaccharide profile which shapes the microbiome. This presentation takes you on a tour of some recent research finds to better understand how maternal diet (potentially prenatally through lactation) DOES play a role in breastmilk and how a parent’s diet can potentially influence a breastfeeding baby’s health.

Breastmilk has long been understood to be a pathway towards long-term health for both mother and child. The specific mechanisms for how this communication works has long been studied and today many researchers believe that messenger RNAs and stem cells contribute in many ways to appropriate developmental pathways for the baby and cause gene activation that promotes health for life. mRNA in breastmilk can also be influenced by the time of day and even the timing of the babies delivery, becoming adaptive for the baby’s unique needs. Not only do these messenger RNA communicate important genetic information to the baby via breastmilk, changes in the mothers body via mRNA occur during lactation responding to a new “mothering” focus during the period of lactation. This may impact the mother’s postpartum mental states, adaptation to stress, and changes in fatty acids. This presentation highlights some of the fascinating studies that demonstrate the myriad of ways that stem cells and mRNA during lactation become the ultimate communicators, affecting change for years to come.

As humans evolved, the milk specific to nourishing, protecting, and developing their babies went through an incredible transformation. The unique demands of having placentas, growing large brains, and making milk for infants that required rapid maturation post-delivery led to a unique set of neohormones. Neohormones not only facilitate reproduction in the mammal, but they direct the development of mammary tissue and are a significant component of human milk. Neohormones interact with the epigenome and microbiome, targeting certain genes to lead to reproductive success for the mammal. Human milk prepares the infant’s epigenome and microbiome for long-term health and adaptation to the environment. Learn about these fascinating components in human milk and the extraordinary role they play in human development.

All human babies have the right to breastmilk exclusivity. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways - breastfeeding, expressed breastmilk via a feeding device, or pasteurized donor human milk. Recently there has been much attention placed on the traditional, though professionally frowned upon, practice of informal milk peer to peer milk sharing. The increasing popularity of milk sharing via social media, the growing attention on the importance of breastmilk exclusivity, the increasing awareness of potential dangers of artificial milk, and the inability for donor milk banks to provide donor milk for more than those in critical need has led professionals and families to an impass. Even though some professionals have warned against the practice, its use is becoming more widespread. Finding policy and recommended practices can be difficult. This presentation reviews the current challenges and realities of milk sharing while helping professionals provide best practice recommendations.

As the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 begins to take hold of our international communities, perinatal workers have specific concerns. How will birth professionals, childbirth and parenting educators, lactation support professionals, and consultants handle this developing crisis? There are many aspects to consider: keeping oneself and family safe, keeping your clients/families educated, how to provide services safely, and how to protect your business as much as possible during a crisis. This presentation will briefly review the basics of what is known about COVID-19, pregnant people and babies and what your clients can anticipate in the event of an infection pre-birth or during the postpartum period. We will review some business practicalities for perinatal professionals, such as effective communication with your clients, screening your clients for COVID-19, protecting yourself during home visits and support groups, alternatives for providing privacy protected care and services when in-person care/support is not recommended or allowed, and so much more. This presentation will have a United States centric bias. However, the presenter will do her best to obtain as much data as possible from other international sources. If you have specific questions that you would like the presenter to cover during this session, please submit them to [email protected] prior to the session, or join the Q&A session after the presentation.

Lactation professionals often hear from their clients that their breastfed babies have been diagnosed as lactose intolerance. This lack of understanding regarding types of lactose intolerance and potential issues with breastfeeding involving the newborn gut often lead to a cessation of breastfeeding. This session will cover the three main types of lactose intolerance, as well as galactosemia. Maternal gut damage and protein sensitivity and how that can impact the breastfed baby will also be addressed. Attendees will also learn about the most common foods that cause food sensitivity and allergy and what referrals are best made with these issues.

The remarkable process by which mammals produce and provide nourishment to their young through milk, is regulated by a complex interplay of hormones and intricate biological mechanisms. Recently, emerging research has shed light on the significant role of neohormones in the evolution of mammalian reproduction and lactation. Neohormones and their interaction with the estrobolome—a collection of gut bacteria involved in the metabolism of estrogen compounds, are yet another important component that can potentially impact successful lactation. This abstract aims to explore the fascinating relationship between lactation, neo-hormones, and the estrobolome. We will delve into pivotal neohormones, oxytocin, relaxin and estrogen and their potential impact on lactation. We explore the estrobolome, a dynamic consortium of gut bacteria involved in the metabolism of estrogen compounds. Recent studies have revealed the estrobolome's intricate relationship with overall health, particularly in modulating estrogen levels and influencing hormonal balance. We examine the possible connection between the estrobolome and lactation, investigating whether the composition and activity of gut bacteria may impact lactation outcomes. Lastly, we consider the how the exposome (environmental influences) shapes lactation, neo-hormones, and the estrobolome. Understanding the interplay between these elements can inform strategies to optimize lactation outcomes, enhance maternal/parental-infant health, and provide valuable insights into therapeutic interventions for lactation-related challenges. In conclusion, this abstract underscores the significance of exploring the relationship between lactation, neo-hormones, and the estrobolome. By unraveling the complex mechanisms at play, we can deepen our understanding of lactation processes, shed light on the effects of neo-hormones, and illuminate the potential role of the estrobolome in modulating lactation outcomes. Ultimately, this knowledge may contribute to improved health and well-being for lactating individuals and their offspring.