Healthy Children Project, Inc. faculty members Karin Cadwell and Kajsa Brimdyr were featured speakers at the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative’s Annual Conference November 15-16.

Karin spoke on day one about the effects of synthetic oxytocin and other birth practices on infant feeding based on her recent research.  Kajsa led a session on the second day of the event titled “Skin-to-Skin Contact: Moving the Conversation On” that focused on what we have learned and where we need to go.

The conference is Europe’s largest on infant feeding for health professionals and others involved in the care of mothers and babies. To see the complete program agenda, click here.

Baby Friendly UK has uploaded information about the talks, and additional information from the speakers here.

The link includes information from the following presentations:

• Karin Cadwell – Healthy Children Project, Inc. – The effects of synthetic oxytocin and other birth practices on infant feeding. View Karin’s slides (pdf), and you can also read details of Karin’s latest study into synthetic oxytocin in her guest blog.
• Renée Flacking – Professor, Dalarna University, Sweden – The neonatal environment and the long-term impact of neonatal care.
• Frances Mason – Senior Hunger Policy and Research Advisor, Save the Children – Findings from Save the Children’s report Don’t Push It: Why the formula industry must clean up its act. View Frances’ slides (pdf).
• Janet Calvert – Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland – #notsorrymums: developing and evaluating an advertising campaign in Northern Ireland. Watch the #NotSorryMums campaign video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis2D3WfurM and you can also view Janet’s slides (pdf) on this page.
• Linda Wolfson – National Maternal & Infant Nutrition Coordinator, Scottish Government – The Scottish Maternal and Infant Nutrition Survey.
• Dr Helen Crawley – Director, First Steps Nutrition Trust – Findings from the APPG Infant Feeding and Inequalities ‘An enquiry into the costs associated with feeding babies in the first year of life’. Access the full report from our news section, and you can also view Helen’s slides here (pdf).
• Dr Pura Rayco-Solon, MD MSc PhD – Epidemiologist, Evidence and Programme Guidance, Department of Nutrition for Health and Development – WHO – The rationale and evidence for the new Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
• Anna Coonan-Byrom – Senior Midwifery Lecturer and Phd Student, Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit – University of Central Lancashire – Bridging the gap: How Baby Friendly impacts on the local cultures of a maternity unit in the north west of England.
• Kajsa Brimdyr, PhD, CLC – Healthy Children Project, Inc. – Skin-to-skin contact: Moving the conversation on, what have we learned and where do we need to go? Find out more about Kajsa’s research into skin-to-skin contact, including the development of an algorithm mapping optimal skin-to-skin contact after birth.
• Dr Gill Thomson – BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, FHEA, Reader (Associate Professor) in Perinatal Health – University of Central Lancashire – What does the evidence tell us about peer support?
• Dr Wendy Jones – Pharmacist with special interest in the safety of drugs in breastmilk – The relationship between breastfeeding and perinatal mental health. View Wendy’s slides (pdf).
• Kelly Young – Matron, Neonatal Service, Bradford Royal Infirmary – Influencing change on a neonatal unit: The power of the parent’s voice. View Kelly’s slides (pdf).

One of the fascinating presentations included a breastfeeding advertising campaign from Northern Ireland, which focused on the issue of breastfeeding in public. You can watch it below