About the Speaker

Naomi Bar-Yam, PhD, ACSW, has been working in maternal and child health for over 30 years as an educator, researcher, advocate, and writer. She is past president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and the founding director of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, which provides safe donor milk to hospitals and families throughout the northeastern US. Her early experience as a social worker and perinatal educator in diverse populations, both in the US and overseas, inspired her special interest in the ethics of access to perinatal health care. That work, and her experience as the mother of two NICU babies, motivated her support for breastfeeding and milk banking. She is now a recognized expert on social and institutional policies that support breastfeeding. As the founder and Director Emerita of a large milk bank, she is also thoroughly versed in the technical, procedural, and ethical aspects of milk banking.

Official Bio for Brochure

Naomi Bar-Yam, PhD, ACSW, has been working in maternal and child health for over 30 years as an educator, researcher, advocate, and writer. She is past president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and the founding director of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, which provides safe donor milk to hospitals and families throughout the northeastern US. An expert on access to perinatal health care and policies that support breastfeeding, she has been a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control (on a panel that created “The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions”), to the United States Breastfeeding Committee (developing an issue paper addressed to CEOs and legislators on breastfeeding and the workplace), and to the March of Dimes (developing educational material for women and families who are medically and socially vulnerable to high-risk pregnancy). She also developed a curriculum for hospital personnel about combining breastfeeding with their work. She reviews articles submitted to the Journal of Human Lactation, Breastfeeding Medicine, and other publications related to breastfeeding, milk banking, and access to perinatal child care. As the founder and Director Emerita of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, she is thoroughly versed in the technical, procedural, and ethical aspects of milk banking. She often speaks at professional conferences, hospital staff trainings, and grand rounds about milk banking and breastfeeding policies.

Bio for Introduction

Naomi Bar-Yam, PhD, ACSW, has been working in maternal and child health for over 30 years as an educator, researcher, advocate, and writer. She is past president of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and is the founding director of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, which provides safe donor milk to hospitals and families throughout the northeastern US. Her early career as a social worker and perinatal educator in diverse populations in the U.S. and overseas, as well as her experience as the mother of two NICU babies, inspired her support for breastfeeding and her special interest in the ethics of access to perinatal health care. As a recognized expert on policies that support breastfeeding, she has advised the CDC (on a panel that created “The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions”), and as a champion of perinatal health care, she advised the March of Dimes (developing educational material for women and families who are medically and socially vulnerable to high-risk pregnancy). She reviews articles submitted to the Journal of Human Lactation, Breastfeeding Medicine, and other publications related to breastfeeding, milk banking, and access to perinatal child care. As the founder and Director Emerita of Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, she is thoroughly versed in the technical, procedural, and ethical aspects of milk banking.

 




Presentations

Leveling the Playing Field: Addressing Disparities in NICU Care

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

Much has been written about disparities in US society—education, health care, income, and law enforcement, to name  few—and the importance of leveling the playing field. This talk describes two kinds of unlevel playing fields—the broad social field and the personal, local, community field—and applies them to maternal-child health, specifically breastfeeding and prematurity. Through discussion, lecture, and small group exercises, participants will explore different types of disparities and tools to address them, including advocacy and policy, clinical practice, and family and community support. The talk can be expanded to include birth in general.

The Impact of Culture on Breastfeeding

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

Breastfeeding occurs in the context of multiple cultures: US culture; the ethnic and national culture of the mother and family; medical culture. This talk considers the roles of culture and interpreters in breastfeeding support; health care as a cultural system; and forms of milk sharing–cross nursing, wet nursing, milk kinship, milk banking, and the monetization of milk exchange. We also examine two examples of cultural influence on breastfeeding practice: colostrum taboo, and “yuck factor” in use of donor milk.

Getting Milk to Babies: Social, Medical, Economic and Commercial Forces

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

Successful infant feeding is crucial to the survival of babies and the human race. Throughout history and across the world, societies have had to address alternatives to maternal breastfeeding. We will present an overview of the history of infant feeding, including the forces involved in the decline of breastfeeding and wet nursing and the rise of “scientific” infant feeding, commercial infant formulas and milk banking. We will also define and discuss milk kinship practiced in Islam, and throughout the Far East and Middle East. We will cover as well the forces and organizations involved in the rise of breastfeeding, milk sharing and milk banking over the last 2-3 decades, and the social, economic and commercial forces impacting infant feeding today. We will conclude with a discussion of how history can help us understand and influence future trends.

Milk Sharing and Milk Banking: A Gallop Through History

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This workshop covers the history of milk sharing, wet nursing, milk banking, and the medicalization of birth and infant feeding. We will also look at human milk banking today – the differences between hospital-based and independent milk banks, uses of banked milk, and an overview of the process of screening donors and processing milk.

Donor Milk Myth Busters: Perceived Barriers to Milk Donation and Use

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

Myths abound about donating and receiving donor milk. This talk gives the straight scoop on why donor milk is so important, and explains the difference between getting or sharing milk online and using a milk bank to donate or receive breast milk.

Ethical Issues in Human Milk Exchange

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

Human milk has been a commodity of exchange for millennia. This talk explores contemporary ethical issues in human milk exchange, including donation vs. payment, safety for recipients, protection for suppliers, allocation of this scarce resource, and making the resource less scarce.

A Place at the Bedside: NICU Families on the NICU Team

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This talk uses research literature and hospital policies and programs to explore ways for families of babies in the NICU to be meaningful and active members of the NICU care team. We will look at a global snapshot of prematurity; define what a team is and who is on the NICU care team; and discuss the short- and long-term goals of the NICU care team, as well as many tools and strategies that team members and the team as a whole have at their disposal to reach those goals. Can be adapted for US or global audiences.

The Whys and Hows of Using Banked Human Milk

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This workshop covers the practical aspects of using banked human milk in NICUs and other hospital units. It covers current research on the benefits and appropriate uses of human milk and describes the ordering, handling, dispensing, and charting use of the milk.

Toward Setting Standards of Care: Breastfeeding and Breast Milk Feeding

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This workshop discusses medical evidence, financial incentives, and social forces affecting breastfeeding and breast milk feeding of newborns in hospital and at home. Topics include use of and access to human milk as standard of care in hospital NICUs and nurseries, informal milk sharing, and donor human milk banking.

Ethics in Breastfeeding and Milk Banking: Informed Consent and Access to Care

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This talk addresses two ethical issues as they relate to breastfeeding support and milk banking:  informed consent and access to care that includes breast milk feeding. Topics include a brief history, definitions of these basic medical ethical concepts, and their relationship to breastfeeding.

Creating a Hospital Donor Milk Program

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This talk addresses the practical aspects of establishing a donor milk program in a NICU or nursery. It includes a brief history of milk banking, the medical evidence supporting use of donor milk, cost, and steps toward establishing a hospital’s donor milk program.

Using Donor Milk in NICU/Nursery

Time-frame: 60
CERP: yes

This talk addresses implementation of a donor milk program in the NICU or nursery, including safety of donor milk, talking to parents, and special concerns for Level 1 and 2 nurseries.

The Building Breastfeeding Bridges Game

Time-frame: 60
CERP:

Building Breastfeeding Bridges is a new, fun game to help your breastfeeding organization or coalition identify its most pressing challenges and to develop effective strategies to meet those challenges, while engaging members and other stakeholders. The game expands and personalizes as you play it.

Naomi Bar-Yam, PhD, ACSW


Country: USA
Phone number: 617-340-3600
Email: naomi@milkbankne.org
Site: http://milkbankne.org/
social

Publications

Rich and Creamy for Our Preemie

Having a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is difficult. It is important for every family member to be included. As children and their families read and color this book, they will learn how the NICU, other moms, and local milk banks support breastfeeding and work to make the newest family member grow healthy and strong.