In honor of National Prematurity Awareness Month, Pebbles of Hope is launching its inaugural webinar series for parents and caregivers of premature babies with sessions taking place throughout the month of November. Connect with experts for advice and recommendations on how to provide the best care for your preemies. Our November series will focus on the important topic of nutrition, covering breastfeeding, nutritional requirements and food allergies.

Our lineup of sessions includes:

November 6th 9:30AM – “Achieving Breastfeeding Success with your Preemie” – Nancy Clark, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Northern Virginia Lactation Consultants

Topics to be covered:

• Method for establishing your milk supply
• How a baby learns to suck at the breast
• Transitioning to normal breastfeeding

Click here to register for this session.

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November 11th 9:00AM – “Understanding the Implications of a Premature Gut” – Cheryl Major, Neonatal Nurse at Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt

Topics to be covered:

• Overview of the development of the GI System during pregnancy
• What is underdeveloped when the baby is born premature
• What clinical problems interfere with feeding
• What is best to feed the baby: benefits of breast milk
• Ways the baby is fed in NICU
• What parents can anticipate the NICU team will explain and/or discuss with them regarding  their baby’s ability to feed and grow

Click here to register for this session.

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November 14th 11:30AM – “Nutrition in the NICU and beyond” – Sandy Robbins, Pediatric Dietician at Fairfax Neonatal Associates & Pediatric Lung Center

Topics to be covered:

• Growth needs of preterm infants: what does it take to get normal growth?
• Why is growth so important in the NICU and the next 2 years? What is normal for the NICU graduate?
• How does normal oral feeding develop and why is that so hard in the NICU?
• What can be done to promote development of normal feeding skills in the NICU and beyond?
• What if a child needs tube feeding; how do you know when and how it is the right time to wean to oral feeding? How do you do it?
• How does a parent find help with feeding skill development if they think they need help?

Click here to register for this session.

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November 17th 6:30PM – “Allergies and Food Sensitivities during Infancy” – Dr. Bonita Wilson, Pediatric Allergist at Allergy Partners of Fredericksburg

Topics to be covered:

• Understanding the vulnerability of the newborn gut to developing sensitivities
• Recognizing sensitivity reactions in infants
• Sensitivities in the breast fed infant and reactions to formula
• The introduction of solid foods in infants at risk for sensitivities
• What emergency medications and equipment are needed for high-risk infants

Click here to register for this session.

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SPEAKER BIOS

Nancy Clark
Nancy Clark is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) and a preceptor for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE). She volunteers her time on the Program Board for the DC Area March of Dimes. Nancy specializes in the near term or premature newborn and complex lactation issues. For over thirty years, Nancy has been promoting, supporting and educating new mothers, families and professionals about breastfeeding by developing professional care plans, education models and standards of care in lactation. Board Certified since 1989, Nancy has worked in both hospital and private settings, providing care, education and mentoring new professionals in the field. She is a published author and consultant for Childbirth Graphics, Inc., and Lactation Education Resources (formerly the Georgetown University LC Training Program) and a frequent lecturer in the DC area.

Cheryl Major
Cheryl Major has enjoyed a long-standing career as a Board-certified neonatal nurse at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee and currently serves as a Senior Associate at the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. In 1981, Cheryl was appointed as the Neonatal Outreach Educator and Coordinator for the Tennessee Perinatal Regionalization Program, which encompasses medical and nursing continuing education, neonatal skills labs and regional neonatal resuscitation provider and instructor courses (NRP) for over 40 hospitals – a role she continues to hold today. Over the course of her 45-year career in Tennessee, Major has received numerous awards on the local, state, and national level in the field of maternal child health. In 2010, she received the Pediatric Nurse of the Year award from the March of Dimes, Music City Division, and she received the March of Dimes National Advocacy and Government Affairs Appreciation Award in 2014. Cheryl is a regular teacher, researcher and author on neonatal medicine and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Music City Division of the March of Dimes. Cheryl received her bachelor’s degree in nursing, with honors, in 1968 from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Sandra Robbins
Sandra Robbins has worked in pediatric nutrition for many years. She is currently employed by Fairfax Neonatal Associates at the NICU at Inova Children’s Hospital and at the pediatric pulmonology practice, the Pediatric Lung Center in Fairfax Virginia. She works with physicians in development of nutrition care protocols that promote the most optimal outcomes for NICU babies and sees children with complex nutrition care needs after discharge, including those who need tube feeding. Prior to working in these current facilities she was at Children’s National Medical Center working with similar populations. Sandra has published several journal articles and edited two books related to handling of infant feedings in health care facilities. She currently co-chairs a work group of an NIH sponsored project to develop guidelines for nutrition care of NICU infants, the Pre-B Project. In 2011 she was awarded the American Dietetic Association’s award for Excellence in Clinical Practice, and has received numerous other awards throughout her career.

Dr. Bonita Wilson
Dr. Bonita Wilson is a Board-certified pediatrician and allergist with more than 40 years of clinical experience. She is currently in practice at Allergy Partners of Fredericksburg, Virginia. She obtained her MD degree from Howard University in 1976 and started her Pediatric Residency at Boston City Hospital. Her residency was interrupted by the birth of premature twins and the subsequent death of one of her twins. She completed her pediatric residency at DC General Hospital and then served as Chief Resident of Pediatrics there, where she spent considerable time in the NICU. After her pediatric residency she completed a two year fellowship in Allergy/Immunology.