Alberta Breastfeeding Committee

Coming on the heels of a successful fall conference in Edmonton with Louise Dumas and Marianne Brophy on skin-to-skin and the Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative (see the Winter 2011 issue of Birthing magazine and our links for more about this amazing skin-to-skin research), the Alberta Breastfeeding Committee (ABC) confirmed plans at its AGM in Red Deer November 4^th for two conference locations for 2012.

A day-long conference will be held on infant brain development in Calgary, September 27 and then in Edmonton, September 28. Keynote speakers will be Dr. Jean Clinton and Dr. Robbin Gibb. Clinton, an internationally-renowned expert in child development with a special interest in the critical role relationship and connectedness plays in brain development, is Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at McMaster, and Associate, Child Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Sick Children’s Hospital. Gib’s focus is on the mechanisms underlying the influence of prenatal and perinatal experiences in shaping the developing brain. She is principal researcher at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge.

Other priorities for 2012 for ABC include supporting the development of Human Milk Banking, seeking funding for the implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative, supporting World Breastfeeding Week 2012 events including the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge, and continuing the development of its well-received handout series “The Importance of Breastfeeding.” Current handouts are available on skin-to-skin, breastfeeding and obesity, breastfeeding and cancer, risks of infant formula. New handouts are being developed on human milk banks, normal growth patterns, brain development, and the risk of not breastfeeding on women’s health. Handouts and news about upcoming initiatives will be posted on the website.