Breastfeeding and Lactation
Human milk provides optimal nutrition, immune protection, and bonding opportunities for infants, yet many families face obstacles in starting and sustaining breastfeeding. This session on Breastfeeding and Lactation focuses on equipping pediatric and neonatal teams with practical, evidence-based skills to support diverse feeding journeys. Clinicians will explore how to provide clear guidance on latch, positioning, milk transfer, and early cues, while also addressing common concerns such as pain, perceived low supply, jaundice, weight faltering, and mixed feeding. Respecting parental goals and cultural practices remains central throughout.
As interest grows in high-quality Pediatrics Conference, professionals are seeking programs that integrate clinical science with real-world counselling strategies. In this session, participants will review the physiology of lactation, the impact of birth practices and early separation, and the role of skin-to-skin contact, rooming-in, and responsive feeding. Special attention is given to supporting breastfeeding in situations such as late preterm infants, infants with congenital anomalies, maternal illness, and mental health challenges. Strategies for safe medication use during lactation, management of mastitis and nipple trauma, and counselling around donor milk or formula supplementation are also examined in depth.
A key area of focus is system-level organisation of lactation support across hospitals, community clinics, and home visits. Participants will learn how to build collaborative models that include pediatricians, neonatologists, nurses, lactation consultants, midwives, and peer counsellors. The session addresses how to create breastfeeding-friendly environments, design realistic follow-up plans after discharge, and use telehealth for remote lactation support where appropriate. Case-based discussions illustrate how to handle conflicting advice, social pressure, and misinformation while keeping the parent–infant dyad at the centre of decision-making.
Equity and inclusion are threaded throughout, recognising that breastfeeding rates and experiences are shaped by structural factors such as parental leave policies, workplace conditions, marketing of breast-milk substitutes, and historical mistrust of health systems. Participants will explore how to tailor communication to different family structures, languages, and cultural beliefs, and how to support parents who choose or need to bottle-feed without stigma. By the end of this session, attendees will have practical tools to make feeding conversations more personalised, realistic, and empowering, helping families move toward their own feeding goals with confidence and support.
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Submit Your Abstract Here →Key Themes in Breastfeeding and Lactation
Lactation physiology and early establishment
- Explaining how hormonal changes, frequent feeding, and milk removal regulate supply in the first days and weeks.
- Highlighting the importance of early skin-to-skin contact, effective latch, and responsive feeding in preventing common problems.
Clinical challenges and complex cases
- Recognising patterns of poor milk transfer, pain, or weight faltering that need prompt assessment and targeted support.
- Managing lactation in the context of prematurity, congenital anomalies, maternal health conditions, or medications.
Communication and counselling strategies
- Using clear, non-judgmental language to explore parents’ feeding goals, concerns, and previous experiences.
- Balancing promotion of breastfeeding with honest discussion of challenges, options, and shared decision-making.
Service design and continuity of support
- Coordinating inpatient, outpatient, community, and telehealth services so families receive timely, consistent guidance.
- Creating referral pathways to lactation consultants, peer counsellors, and community resources for ongoing support.
Practice Insights and Parent-Centred Approaches
Building breastfeeding-friendly environments
Ensuring policies, staffing, and physical spaces support rooming-in, frequent feeding, and privacy where needed.
Handling supplementation decisions
Guiding families through when and how to supplement while protecting the milk supply and parental confidence.
Supporting diverse families and contexts
Tailoring advice to different cultures, family structures, employment situations, and access to community resources.
Using technology to extend support
Leveraging telehealth visits, messaging, and secure photo or video sharing to troubleshoot feeding challenges remotely.
Collaborating across disciplines
Aligning messages from obstetrics, neonatology, pediatrics, nursing, and lactation services to avoid conflicting advice.
Protecting against misinformation and pressure
Addressing myths, commercial marketing, and social media narratives with respectful, evidence-based information.
Respecting parental choices and wellbeing
Recognising when exclusive breastfeeding is not feasible or desired and supporting alternative feeding plans without guilt.
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