Ariana Komaroff, DNP, FNP-BC, IBCLC, PMH-C

Ariana Komaroff is a doctoral prepared family nurse practitioner working in primary pediatric care at the Center for Advanced Pediatrics (TCFAP) in southern CT. She is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, international board-certified lactation consultant and holds a perinatal mental health certification. She obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Columbia University School of Nursing and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She is the Clinical Director of the Breastfeeding and Lactation Program at TCFAP. In her current clinic role, she works with patients and their families providing general pediatric primary care, breastfeeding support to new mothers and parents, and medical management of lactation disorders. Ariana recently opened a private lactation practice in Westchester, NY providing fourth trimester care for new parents and infants. She accepts insurance and hopes to grow her new practice partnering with local pediatricians and obstetricians to expand access for community-based lactation services.
Ariana is committed to family-centered care, honoring the cultures, traditions, and expertise that families bring to the provider-patient relationship. She has participated in several research and quality improvement initiatives surrounding infant growth, development, nutrition, and breastfeeding.
Ariana is also an Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of Nursing teaching graduate nursing students in the family, pediatric, midwifery, and women’s health programs. She is passionate about nursing education and has a long history of mentoring students in the clinical setting. She is known for her clinical innovation and dissemination of best clinical practices through her knowledge of evidence-based practice.

Marcia Robinson, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC

Marcia Robinson is a board-certified Family and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with a strong commitment to providing exceptional healthcare. Marcia earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Pace University in 2006 and has since dedicated over twelve years to serving as a Nurse Practitioner in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), effectively addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities in Westchester and Bronx counties.
In 2010, she completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Columbia University, followed by her post-master’s acute care certification at Pace University in 2017. Currently, Marcia works as a cardiology Nurse Practitioner at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, delivering outstanding care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
She is fiercely dedicated to educating and caring for disadvantaged patients, empowering them to advocate for themselves and take an active role in their healthcare. To enhance her ability to work across disciplines, she obtained her Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in Health Policy and
Management from Columbia University in September 2022. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Robinson serves as full-time graduate faculty at Pace University School of Nursing, shaping the next generation of nursing professionals with her expertise and unwavering commitment to quality care.

Impact of social determinants on breastfeeding

In this presentation we define social determinants of health (SDOH) and characterize the influence of SDOH on breastfeeding. We provide examples of how SDOH negatively affects breastfeeding initiation and duration, highlighting steps that can be taken to mitigate this impact and empower the clinician to utilize available screening tools and community resources.

1.00 L (V, VII) CERP

Nada Atef, MD, IBCLC, Ped GI dip

Dr Nada Atef is a consultant in pediatric medicine who obtained her doctorate degree at 2023 from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, with published research in Pediatric Gastroenterology in 2020. Her masters degree was obtained from Ain Shams University with a special interest in pediatric gastroenterology and endoscopy in 2015.

To add more knowledge and for her own personal need as a mother of two daughters, which started her interest in lactation, she became an IBCLC 2018 and recertified in 2023.

Dr Atef works in the Mansheyet el Bakry Hospital, Ministry of Health as a neonatalology specialist and also is currently working at a private pediatric gastroenterology clinic supporting breastfeeding.

Human milk therapy: unexpected uses

Human milk is a popular treatment method applied as a traditional, natural pharmacotherapy practiced in many societies for many years as an ethnomedicine. This presentation will discuss possible use of human milk for baby’s own health problems, for example eye problems (conjunctivitis) etc.

1.00 L (I, VII) CERP

Leana Habeck, B Cur (RN, RM, RPN, CHN), Dip Peri Ed, LLLL, IBCLC

Leana Habeck, mother to three beautiful and breastfed children, holds a BCur degrees in nursing from the University of Stellenbosch and is a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Registered Psychiatric Nurse and Registered Community Health Nurse. She worked in maternity before starting a family. Leana also has a qualification in Perinatal Education from the University of Johannesburg and taught antenatal classes in Stellenbosch and the Helderberg area for many years.
Leana is a trained crisis pregnancy counsellor and worked at a local crisis pregnancy center for many years, later running their well-known abstinence based sex education program before having her third child. Leana is a La Leche League Leader and compiled (and facilitates) the Online Breastfeeding Peer Counselling Training Course. She is also an IBCLC and a founding member of LACSA (Lactation Consultants of Southern- & Africa). Leana is a Trainer of Trainers and has taught the WHO/UNICEF 20 hour Breastfeeding Management Course numerous times.
Leana has been protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding families in her and her colleagues’ practice, The Breastfeeding Clinic, for many years. Leana has been interviewed on radio several times, regularly contributes to national baby magazines and has presented several talks at National symposiums and local workshops. Find her on Instagram and YouTube @leanahabeck.

Sifting through the perplexity of ties

There is disagreement among researchers and clinicians on the definition of tongue-, lip-, or buccal-ties, how to identify ties, if they have an effect on breastfeeding, or teeth alignment, or on speech, and what to do about it – if anything. This general lack of consensus in the area often leads to a dismissive attitude around tongue-tie, and/or a conservative approach to its management when clearly, in some cases, it is the underlying root cause of various issues. Many of the symptoms of ankyloglossia overlap those of other breastfeeding difficulties, which means, a team partnership is necessary. This talk will look at tight frenula under the following headings: What are tongue-ties? What’s the big deal? (consequences). Classifications. How to spot them. Alternative breastfeeding positioning to help compensate for a tight tongue. Other causes and To Snip or not.

1.00 L (III, VII) CERP

Rahmat Bagus, MBChB, IBCLC

Dr Rahmat Bagus is a mother to 4 children (ages 10, 14, 18, 21) who all breastfed for extended periods of time. She is a medical doctor with an interest in paediatric primary care (having trained at Red Cross Children’s Hospital) and lactation. She established her own private practice called Kids Medicare in 2007 in Parow, Cape Town, South Africa. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and extended her practice with “Breastfeeding Care” seeing challenging breastfeeding dyads.
She volunteers with La Leche League South Africa, running breastfeeding support meetings and several WhatsApp groups for mothers. She serves as the Professional Liaison Leader for LLLSA, and serves on the Medical Advisory Team and Global Professional Leaders forum for LLL International.
She co-teaches a 25-hour online breastfeeding education course for healthcare workers in South Africa.
“As a doctor I was dismayed to find out how little I knew about breastfeeding until I joined LLLSA. It’s sadly a neglected area of medical training.”

Tongue ties and breastfeeding: Tips for optimising positioning and latch

Surgical options may not be available or accessible for babies with tongue restrictions. This presentation aims to improve clinical skills in optimising positioning and latch in these mother-baby dyads and improving pain perceptions in mothers.

1.00 L (I, Vi, VII) CERP

Karleen Gribble, PhD, BRurSc, CertIV Breastfeeding Education

Karleen Gribble is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University, Australia. She is the author of more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on infant feeding, child protection, and child rights and is a world leading researcher on infant and young child feeding in emergencies. Dr Gribble has been involved in policy development and training on infants and young children in emergencies since 2006. She has provided advice to UN organisations, INGOs, health professionals, emergency responders and government bodies in many countries on infants and young children in emergencies. Dr Gribble is a current steering committee member of the international interagency collaboration the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies Core Group. She was Project lead for the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s Community Protection for Infants and Young Children in Bushfires
Project which worked to improve emergency preparedness and response in Australian emergencies. She was also senior author for the 2024 Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s position statement on breastfeeding in emergencies.

Protecting the lives of babies: the challenging world of infant and young child feeding in emergencies

This presentation will outline how breastfeeding is important in emergencies and how emergencies impact breastfeeding. It will empower participants with key actions that can be taken to support appropriate infant and young child feeding in emergencies.

1.00 E (VII) CERP

Lynette Shotton, EdD, MSc, BSc (Hons) RGN, SCPHN

Dr Lynette Shotton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Well-being, Northumbria University, UK.
Dr Shotton is a registered adult nurse and Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. Her research interests focus on developing the breastfeeding workforce.

Cheryl Elliot, RM, RN, MSc, BSc (Hons), DipHB (KG), FHEA, PGCERT

Cheryl Elliot is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Northumbria University, UK. Cheryl is a registered Adult Nurse and Midwife. Her research interests focus on developing the breastfeeding workforce and the experiences of first-time pregnancy and motherhood at increased maternal age.

CHINS and LATCHES – Two memory aides for breastfeeding

The presentation will introduce and explain two memory aides, CHINS and LATCHES. CHINS is focused on the principles of positioning for effective breastfeeding and LATCHES focuses on the principles of attachment for effective breastfeeding. The presentation will provide insight into how these were developed and the impact they have had on breastfeeding education and practice, underpinned by funded research.

0.75 L (V, VII) CERP

Cecilia Tomori, PhD, MA, BA

Dr Cecília Tomori is Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing with a joint appointment at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health. Dr Tomori is an anthropologist and public health scholar, who is internationally recognized for her expertise on breastfeeding, infant sleep, and maternal child health. She is a co-author of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series, several books – Anthropology of Reproduction (2025), Nighttime Breastfeeding (2025 [2014]), The Routledge Handbook of Anthropology and Reproduction (2022), Breastfeeding: New Anthropological Approaches (2018) – and numerous publications on a wide range of public health issues. Her work has been widely cited in peer reviewed literature, clinical and global public health guidance, and in the media.

Stronger regulations for formula marketing are needed to improve breastfeeding outcomes: lessons from the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series

This presentation will address key lessons from the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series, which provides a synthesis of the most recent research on the critical importance of breastfeeding, the barriers and opportunities for creating systems that enable women globally to breastfeed as they desire. The talk will focus on the role of the commercial milk formula (CMF) industry and its far-reaching influence on families, health care providers and policy makers. The lecture will also provide a framework for the CMF industry playbook and specific examples of how this playbook is deployed to shape families’ and health professionals’ views of human infant behavior to generate profits. The talk will conclude with concrete strategies for policies and regulations that must be enacted to end unethical marketing and enable women to realize their breastfeeding goals.

1.00 E (VII) CERP

Emma Pickett, BA, PGCE, IBCLC

Originally qualifying as a breastfeeding counsellor with The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers in the UK in 2007, Emma first qualified as a IBCLC in 2011. She has written 4 books (the most recent two focusing on supporting breastfeeding past six months and ending the breastfeeding relationship). She volunteers in North London alongside a private practice where she supports families breastfeeding beyond infancy around the world. Her weekly podcast, Makes Milk with Emma Pickett was launched in September 2023 and covers all aspects of breastfeeding and lactation.

Supporting the ending of breastfeeding: working with parents in the weaning process

When breastfeeding has continued beyond infancy, it can come to have a crucial emotional significance in the parent/child relationship and imagining life beyond breastfeeding can be challenging. As breastfeeding supporters, what can our role be in the weaning process? Moving on from breastfeeding is often about learning new forms of connection and communication and is far from simply ending a way of giving milk.

1.00 L (V, VII) CERP

Monét Kees, PhD, MPPA, IBCLC

Dr Monét Kees is a Perinatal Health Program Director, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), human lactation researcher, and full-spectrum doula dedicated to addressing disparities in perinatal health and human lactation. As a hospital-based and private practice lactation consultant, Dr Kees supports families from prenatal to postpartum, ensuring they receive comprehensive, culturally competent care. She has extensive experience in program design, implementation, and management, with a strong passion for educating and equipping communities.
Dr Kees’s professional journey began as a community organizer in public health, a role that shaped her commitment to advocating for public policies affecting vulnerable populations in Mississippi. Her career expanded to include roles in local government through the Cooperative Extension system in Mississippi, Indiana, and North Carolina, where she served limited-resource communities through outreach and education. Notably, Monét has been a vocal advocate for Black perinatal health and health equity, serving as a Maternal Health Coordinator for a public health firm and a Health Equity Manager for a local health department’s perinatal health program.
As a transformative advocate, practitioner, and scholar, she completed her doctoral degree in Instructional Systems and Workforce Development with research on the intersectionality of Black identity, human lactation, and lactation education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Master of Public Policy and Administration with a concentration in public health and health policy from Mississippi State University. Additionally, she earned a graduate certificate in Human Lactation from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. A proud Mississippi native, Dr Kees has made North Carolina her home, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Pathways to progress: expanding access to the lactation profession

This presentation aims to identify and discuss the multifaceted barriers that underrepresented communities face in entering the lactation profession and propose comprehensive solutions to overcome these obstacles. By addressing financial, educational, cultural, social, and policy-related challenges, we can develop a more diverse and inclusive lactation workforce, ultimately improving lactation support for all populations.

1.00 L (V, VII) CERP

Karolina Morze is a pharmacist and specializes in pharmacotherapy in lactation. She works as a consulting pharmacist in a private practice in Poland. In her clinical practice she works with lactating individuals with various health issues, helping mothers with both common problems, chronic or rare diseases to reconcile the therapy and breastfeeding with as little intervention as possible, respecting mothers’ wishes and needs.
She conducts training for IBCLCs, midwives, doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals as well as non-medical lactation supporters in the field of medication and breastfeeding, attempting to explain complex pharmacological problems in an easy to understand way. She conducts research on the Drug Related Problems and outcomes of maternal medication on the breastfed children.
She is a member of the Polish Society of Clinical Pharmacy and Polish Society of Pharmacovigilance. She is also an author of several books and publications.

Minding the gap. What do we know of the choices mothers make regarding medication use and breastfeeding?

This presentation is about our perspective as lactation specialists on the challenges mothers face regarding medications and breastfeeding, and compare it with Karolina’s own observations from a nearly year-long study. It will explain the motivations behind her research on drug-related problems in breastfeeding women and discuss whether the results confirmed the initial hypotheses. What was most surprising, and what was foreseeable? And most of all, is there anything we can do to improve?

1.00 L (IV, VII) CERP

Zaharah Sulaiman, MBBS, MMed (Comm Med), PhD, IBCLC, FILCA, FABM

Dr Zaharah Sulaiman is a medical doctor and lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Medical Sciences. An International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2007, she heads the Lactation Clinic at USM Specialist Hospital. Since 2015, Dr Zaharah and her team have provided specialized induced lactation services while conducting research, publishing journal articles and books, and developing a treatment guide for USM Specialist Hospital. She has also authored educational materials, including a reference manual for breastfeeding peer support groups in Malaysia. A dedicated advocate, she has served on the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Local Governance Committee since 2014. Her contributions to breastfeeding promotion, support, and advocacy have earned her prestigious recognition, including Fellowships from the International Lactation Consultant Association (FILCA) in 2023 and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM) in 2024.

The art and science of induced lactation

This presentation will define induced lactation, outline its preparatory stages and success factors, and discuss the challenges faced by both healthcare providers and clients. It will also offer practical tips and summarize the art and science behind the process of induced lactation.

1.00 L (II, VII) CERP

Myrte van Lonkhuijsen, IBCLC

After starting her career as an educational scientist >Myrte van Lonkhuijsen became a fultime IBCLC in 2000. She’s worked in a private practice ever since. The resilience of breastfeeding as an interaction between babies and parents fascinates Myrte and she is increasingly work with mindfulness and aspects of infant mental health in order to help parents and babies connect and cooperate.

Breastfeeding to the rescue

Breastfeeding can in itself be a healing and strengething interaction between mother and baby. Support for the breastfeeding dyad is very important. This presentation hopes to show you how breastfeeding itself can be supportive too.

1.25 E (VII) CERP

This presentation was previously shown in our Ethics Extravaganza 2024 conference.

José María Paricio Talayero, MD, PhD

Dr José María Paricio Talayero is a pediatrician, doctor of Medicine and graduate in Statistics and Health Sciences, father of three children and grandfather of three grandchildren.
He was head of the Pediatrics service for 20 years at the Marina Alta Hospital in Denia, Alicante (Hospital IHAN 1999) and member of the breastfeeding committee of the AEP (Spanish Association of Pediatrics) for 13 years. In 2002 he created the page on the compatibility of breastfeeding with medications and other products, e-lactancia.org. He has collaborated in the Care Guides for Normal Childbirth (2010) and Breastfeeding (2017) of the Spanish Ministry of Health. He has 57 scientific works (32 ref. PubMed) published in medical journals, several chapters in medical books and has written two books Tú eres la mejor madre del mundo (You are the best mother in the world) and El libro de la lactancia (The book of breastfeeding).
He is currently a medical advisor to La Leche League International and coordinator of the e-lactancia.org page, the breastfeeding cultural issues page telasmos.org and the breastfeeding support group APILAM. He also spreads and promotes breastfeeding through talks, presentations and conferences.

Microbiota and lactation, ethics and truth of their applications

This presentation will begin with an introduction to ethics in breastfeeding, including a brief summary of the WHO 1981 marketing code, to go on to discuss the importance of the microbiota and the microbiome, techniques for studying microbiomes and main human microbiomes, specifically the intestinal microbiome and its implication in breastfeeding. An important part of the presentation will focus on probiotics and breastfeeding and the professional ethical implications arising from their dissemination, marketing ethics and publications.

1.50 E (VII) CERP

This presentation was previously shown in our Ethics Extravaganza 2024 conference.

Lyndsey Hookway, PhD, RNC, SCPHN, IBCLC

Dr Lyndsey Hookway is an experienced paediatric nurse, children’s public health nurse, IBCLC, researcher, responsive sleep/parenting advocate, and the author of six books. She has worked with children and families for more than 20 years within in-patient paediatrics, paediatric ambulatory care, NICU, and the community.
Lyndsey is a researcher at Swansea University, UK, exploring the needs and challenges of medically complex breastfed infants and children. In 2019 she founded the Breastfeeding the Brave project to raise awareness of the unique lactation needs of sick children in the paediatric setting. Lyndsey is the co-founder and clinical director of the Holistic Sleep Coaching program and Thought Rebellion. She is a respected international speaker and also provides regular training, advocacy and consultancy to both NHS and private organisations.

Breastfeeding challenges in paediatrics

Childhood illness is associated with additional difficulties and lower breastfeeding rates. There is a paucity of research within this sub-population limiting our understanding of the barriers for families and professionals. An explanatory mixed-methods study aimed to understand the challenges of breastfed children in the paediatric setting.
Both paediatric professionals and parents identified a lack of skilled support particularly with more seriously unwell children. This research provides insight into what measures are perceived as supportive by mothers while also identifying barriers and areas for improvement. Skill deficits identified in the studies suggest that bespoke paediatric breastfeeding training based on identified clinical challenges is justified.

2.25 L (III, V, VII) CERP

This presentation was previously shown in our Milk • Nurture • Wisdom conference.

Jennifer Thomas, MD, MPH, IBCLC, FABM, FAAP

Dr Jenny Thomas is a pediatrician and breastfeeding medicine specialist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Community and Family Medicine and Pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). She is a graduate of Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She did her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, served as Chief Resident in Pediatrics, and did a fellowship in Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine. She has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2003. She is now serving her 11th year on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Breastfeeding Leadership Team. She is a founder and past Chairperson of the Wisconsin Breastfeeding Coalition and continues to serve as the Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator for the Wisconsin Chapter of the AAP. She has received national advocacy awards, multiple teaching awards, and has been recognized for innovation within her practice and community. She has been published in Clinical Pediatrics, the Journal of Human Lactation, and Breastfeeding Medicine. She is one of physicians recognized as a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM) for her expertise on breastfeeding.

Growing pains: interpreting growth charts and deciding when and how to intervene

How much weight is too much for a newborn to lose? What do we need to consider when a child starts decreasing percentiles for weight? What do changes in the growth curves mean for breastfeeding infants and children? In this talk we will learn about growth curves for preterm and term infants, about how to assess weight and its implications in the neonatal period and what constitutes failure to thrive. We will consider factors that may cause changes in growth percentiles over the first years of life and when we need to intervene.

1.25 L (I, VII) CERP

This presentation was previously shown in our Connect • Nourish • Thrive conference.