About this module
While exclusive breast feeding remains the gold standard for young infants, many nursing mothers experience difficulties that prevent them from achieving this consistently. In fact, recent research indicates that the majority of nursing mothers in Australia will engage in mixed feeding (a combination of breast feeding and infant formula) at some stage in this crucial stage of their child’s development.
Despite this trend there is very little education available for mothers and the health professionals that they will inevitably turn to for advice.
This module brings together three leading experts in infant nutrition to address the mixed feeding challenge from end to end. Beginning with strategies to maintain and improve breastfeeding, to recognising when it is best for the infant to move to a mixed feeding regime, to how to initiate and maintain mixed feeding so as to avoid impacting on the mother’s own milk supply. This educational resource is aimed at bringing health professionals up to speed on how best to optimise the nutritional opportunities for infants in this crucial time.
Learning objectives:
- Identify strategies to maintain and improve breastfeeding, addressing common challenges faced by nursing mothers.
- Recognise signs indicating when infants should transition to mixed feeding for optimal growth and development.
- Implement techniques to initiate and maintain mixed feeding while preserving maternal milk supply and ensuring infant nutritional needs.
The Experts
Dr Janet Green | Registered Nurse and Senior Lecturer
Dr Janet Green is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Notre Dame Australia and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania – both based in Sydney.
For many years she was the Coordinator for the Graduate Programs in Children's Nursing, Neonatal Nursing and Clinical Teaching at the University of Technology Sydney. Dr Green is a Registered Nurse with qualifications in midwifery, lactation, neonatal intensive care, paediatric intensive care, emergency paediatric nursing and child and family health – Tresillian.
She has many years’ experience as a neonatal nurse in the intensive care nursery at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and has retained strong ties to the clinical community.
Prof Elizabeth Denney-Wilson | Professor of Nursing
Prof Elizabeth Denney-Wilson is Professor of Nursing in the Sydney Nursing School. She has academic qualifications in nursing, public health and epidemiology. Since completing her PhD in 2005, her research has focused on obesity prevention and management with a focus on the development of brief interventions (including mHealth interventions) targeting infant and young child feeding that can be scaled up and implemented. Prof Denney-Wilson has long term collaborations with researchers across a broad range of health disciplines from UNSW, Deakin and Flinders University. She was recently appointed to a WHO guidelines committee on child obesity prevention and management and the NHMRC clinical obesity guidelines committee.
Kathy Beck | Paediatric Dietitian
Kathy Beck is an experienced Paediatric Dietitian with expertise in food allergy and a passion to support families living with food allergy. Her philosophy emphasises focusing on what children with allergies are able to eat. Kathy is the past chair of the Dietitian Committee of ASCIA and has worked with other experts to produce ASCIA resources, in addition to supporting other dietitians.
This activity is proudly supported by an independent educational grant from Nutricia
