Medela Neonatal Perspectives

Air travel can be stressful – I know from personal experience as I travel by air sometimes weekly.  But for new moms, having to find creative ways to feed a baby while traveling is even more difficult. On October 3, 2018, the Senate passed bi-partisan legislation to make air travel safer and easier. One important… Read More about “Senate Passes Legislation for Breastfeeding Moms in Airports”

While most neonatal and infant healthcare providers recognize the benefits of breastfeeding, there is often concern about the transfer of maternal medications into breast milk. That may lead to an inclination to discourage the use of human milk in the presence of at least some medications. We instruct mothers to record medications they may be… Read More about “Medication Transfer Into Breast Milk”

Would it surprise you to know that the number of premature births has been on the rise over the past three years? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age.¹ Globally 15 million babies are born preterm each year, before 37 weeks.… Read More about “Premature Birth is On the Rise: How the PREEMIE Act Can Improve the Odds”

I remember closely following past efforts to create a substitute for the human red blood cell that could be as effective as donated blood. Unfortunately, despite various efforts by researchers and industry, we are still far from this, and depend on altruistic blood donation to support the need for more red cells in medicine. Messy… Read More about “All in the Name of Human Milk Tissue”

Change is never easy. We hear this all the time. But change is often worth the effort in the end. What if knowing and understanding that the needed change would potentially save a life, improve quality of life, keep a family intact, or save a career? Would this change seem important then, even if you… Read More about “Successfully Navigating the Path to ENFit Transition”

Were you aware that on April 1, 2018, Anthem Blue Cross/BlueShield decreased reimbursement rates for breast pumps by 45%, from $169 to $95? Anthem is a large independent licensee of Blue Cross/Blue Shield that insures about one-third of individuals and families in the United States. Alarmed by the impact of not being able to secure… Read More about “Breast Pump Insurance Reimbursement: What’s In It For Mothers”

Last year, I was invited to be part of the International Neonatal Consortium (INC). This group is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the development of safe and effective therapies for neonates. The consortium engages the global neonatal community – families, neonatal nurses, academic scientists, regulators, pharmaceutical investigators, advocacy organizations, and funders –… Read More about “Research in Neonates Survey: For Clinicians and Families”

When I was first attracted to neonatology, I was told some great stories of its birth by many of my mentors who witnessed the beginning. Those early pioneers were working desperately to break new ground to save lives, as preterm infants were routinely dying from respiratory illness, sepsis, and other morbidities. They experimented with whatever they… Read More about “Neonatal Hocus POCUS: When Did We Become Laggards in Using Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Magic?”

Mother’s own milk (MOM) provided to an infant is by far the best source of nutrition available. We know, though, that there is a marked disparity between mothers who are providing MOM initially, and those that continue to pump or breastfeed prior to or shortly after NICU discharge. In addition, we know low income populations… Read More about “Breastfeeding Mothers in the NICU Benefit From Education and Support”

How frequently are you changing feeding tubes? Several years ago, I had the pleasure of transitioning to a clinical specialist role working for a company that is passionate about human milk, and manufactures enteral feeding products. I am frequently asked for the manufacturer’s recommendation for changing feeding tubes. Another question is, “How long can the… Read More about “NICU Feeding Tubes: A Source of Infection”