Health-care professionals (HCP) have a responsibility to protect and promote maternal and infant health and breastfeeding is one of the most effective measures to support this. Increasing breastfeeding rates in Australia is crucial to improving population health, but the absence of robust policies, programmes and education for HCP undermines this effort. The pervasive marketing of commercial milk formulas (CMF), including sponsorship of HCP and their organisations, has introduced significant conflicts of interest that distort clinical practice, education, research and guidelines developed in the infant feeding domain. This is a call to action to all HCP to seek independence from the CMF industry and to actively support breastfeeding in their practice.
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline: VII Clinical Skills
Bias shapes the way caregivers perceive, interpret, and respond to their clients’ infant feeding experiences, often without conscious awareness. This presentation explores how bias manifests in lactation support and how it can impact equity in care. Kelly will examine the meaning of “bias” and explore the research on caregivers' attitudes and beliefs, including underlying assumptions about human milk versus formula. She will discuss specific forms of bias, such as racial and ethnic bias, age-related bias, LGBTQ+ bias, and weight-related bias, with examples of how these perspectives can influence both the quality of support and parental confidence. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own assumptions and consider strategies for reducing bias in practice. Finally, participants will explore concrete steps toward providing more equitable, inclusive, and compassionate support, ensuring that all families receive the care they deserve.
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline:
V Psychology, Sociology & Anthropology
VII Clinical Skills
This revealing talk shows the marketing tactics of formula companies and how the producers effectively use propaganda, generalizations and advertising to convince the general public that their product is equal to breastmilk. Many examples and pictures are shown, captivating the visual learners.
After this presentation, participants will be able to:
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline: VII Clinical Skills
The May 2025 WHA resolution on regulating digital marketing of breastmilk substitutes represents the Code's most significant evolution in years. Fewer than 20% of countries explicitly prohibit digital promotion. This could explore how digital marketing operates through health workers (branded apps, sponsored webinars, data harvesting through "professional" platforms) and implications for IBCLCs engaging with industry-sponsored digital content.
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline: VII Clinical Skills
Health professionals, including lactation consultants, have a duty to practice in an evidence-based manner. The human brain is a marvel, but it conserves energy by automating tasks and simplifying analysis. This presentation explores the use and misuse of heuristics and evaluation of evidence in the formulation of clinical reasoning in health care professionals assisting breastfeeding families in the context of ethical practice. It includes strategies to improve the accurate interpretation of research and avoid cognitive errors in a ‘blame-free’ context. In addition, it reviews new information on genetic susceptibility to confirmation bias and basic information about the brain pathways involved.
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline: VII Clinical Skills
Many studies in the field of breastfeeding and lactation have been challenged when published, simply because their findings are, at best, incorrect. Proper definitions, project design and industry conflict of interest are important factors, and these can be critiqued and challenged at the ethical review stage. Research ethics institutions protect the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of research participants, and also have a duty to ensure ‘good’ research. Conducting poor research is unethical. In this presentation, Zainab walks us through the process of ethical review of research protocols, and how to effectively, and ethically, analyse published studies in our field.
After this presentation participants will be able to:
IBLCE Detailed Content Outline: VII Clinical Skills
Zainab Yate
Zainab studied medical ethics & law at the Imperial College London. She is a biomedical ethicist, independent researcher and campaigner. She published the first peer-reviewed study looking specifically at breastfeeding/nursing aversion and agitation in 2017. She is the leading international expert in Aversion, and has recently published the only book on the topic with specialist publishers Pinter & Martin, London. She has helped thousands of women and families through her free structured support course and peer-to-peer support group online. Zainab is a breastfeeding peer supporter with the NHS and a breastfeeding advocate and infant feeding research ethics expert for ethical committees in the UK.
Christy Jo Hendricks
Christy Jo Hendricks, IBCLC, is an international speaker, educator, inventor, and author. She has made a career of teaching lactation in ways that simplify learning. She has been awarded the US Presidential Volunteer Award for her community service, the Phyllis Klaus Founder's Award for her contribution to the mother/baby bond and the Above and Beyond Award for innovative projects that exemplify the mission of Public Health. She has also been named Lactation Educator Faculty of the Year from CAPPA and has earned their Visionary Award. Christy Jo created the Grow Our Own Lactation Consultant/IBCLC Prep Course which has been used to train hundreds of students to become Lactation Consultants. She resides with her family in California where she continues to serve her community as a Lactation Consultant, Health Educator for the Department of Public Health, doula and faculty for the CAPPA CLE© and Childbirth Educator Programs.
Catherine Watson Genna
Catherine Watson Genna is an IBCLC in private practice in New York City since 1992. She loves to teach, locally mentoring clinical interns and traveling to educate healthcare professionals around the world on assisting breastfeeding babies with anatomical, genetic or neurological problems. Catherine collaborates with Columbia University and Tel Aviv University Departments of Biomedical Engineering on research projects investigating the biomechanics of the lactating nipple and various aspects of sucking and swallowing in breastfeeding infants. She is the author of Selecting and Using Breastfeeding Tools: Improving Care and Outcomes and Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants as well as professional journal articles and chapters in the Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice and Breastfeeding and Human Lactation.
Kelly Durbin
Kelly Durbin is an IBCLC, childbirth educator, author, and volunteer breastfeeding counselor. She has co-authored original research on breastfeeding topics and is the sole author of Protecting Your Potential for Breastfeeding. As a lactation consultant, Kelly has provided one-on-one consultations, taught prenatal breastfeeding education, and led nine lactation support groups in five US states, offering evidence-based information, practical support, and compassionate care to hundreds of families since 2008. Kelly is the curriculum development coordinator for Childbirth International. She lives in Portland, Oregon, USA, with her husband and two daughters.
Christine Staricka
Christine Staricka is an IBCLC and trained childbirth educator with over 22 years of lactation experience in the hospital and the community. She is the host of Evolve Lactation Community, a membership and coaching program for aspiring and new lactation consultants. Christine also hosts Evolve Lactation Podcast and writes a blog on Substack called Evolve Lactation. She is the facilitator of the first licensed Baby Café to open in California.
Nicole Bando
Nicole is an advanced accredited practising dietitian and IBCLC who works in private practice. She has a special interest in early life feeding and evidence-based, sustainable nutrition to support optimal growth, that meets a family at their unique needs. Nicole has extensive community and national level advocacy experience, frequently commenting in the media (TV, radio, and print), and as a regular presenter to medical and allied health colleagues. As convenor of the Dietitians Australia Paediatric and Maternal Health Interest Group and Co-Convenor of the Nutrition & Breastfeeding Working Group, Nicole advocates for policy implementation that protects and promotes breastfeeding to support maternal and infant health.
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