Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
October 27, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Lamaze International is 60 years old this year and Linda Harmon has been at the helm of this remarkable organization for half of that time! After nearly 30 years as the organization's executive director, Linda is retiring and stepping away from the most familiar name in childbirth education for many, people. Hard to imagine all the change and growth that Linda has led and participated in these past three decades. Supporting the board of directors and all the members with her wisdom and leadership skills, Linda has helped shape an organization that is even more relevant than ever to today's educators and families than it was 30 years ago when she first joined the team. I wanted to ask Linda to reflect and share some insight as to what things have stood out for her during her time with Lamaze.
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October 22, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Hospital-Based Deliveries With Water Immersion was a retrospective study that was primarily seeking to compare NICU admissions for newborns born in water versus NICU admissions for those born on land. Additionally, the researchers looked at some secondary outcomes such adverse neonatal diagnoses, maternal infections and perineal lacerations.
October 20, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza
As childbirth educators, we should be sharing information with families about the tests and assessments that newborns undergo in the first hours, days and weeks of their lives. Rather than being viewed as more unnecessary interventions often delivered as part of maternal and neonatal care in 2020, these screenings are making a real difference in the lives of babies and families. Newborn Screening is one of the most effective public health campaigns ever initiated. Through early detection, there has been a positive impact on infant health across diverse geographic, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences.
October 06, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
October is Safe Sleep and SIDS Awareness Month. These important topics are not just mentioned in October should be routinely discussed in childbirth education classes, as expectant parents need access to evidence based information that helps prevent infant mobility and mortality. The Safe to Sleep campaign, from the National Institutes of Health has an extremely robust and generous website jam-packed with activities, resources, videos, graphics, social media content and more for you to access, use and share with the families you work with. This information is available in both English and Spanish.
September 30, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators honors the continued necessity and continuation of virtual childbirth classes as the world fights against the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are many challenges associated with offering our classes virtually through a variety of software platforms, there are also some benefits that you may not have considered. Today, I share four ways you can use the home environment to enhance the learning experiences of the families in your classes. To see all the posts in the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators series, follow this link.
September 10, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Gestational hypertension is a major concern as people move through their pregnancy. Abnormal blood pressures indicating a hypertensive disorder is a significant cause of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes worldwide. Preeclampsia along with infection and hemorrhage are the three largest cases of maternal mortality currently. It is thought that 1 in 4 deaths that occur from hypertension/preeclampsia in pregnant people are preventable. A new study was just released “A new definition of gestational hypertension? New-onset blood pressures of 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg after 20 weeks of gestation” that attempts to predict those pregnant people who may be at risk of experiencing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
September 08, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
The global pandemic created by COVID-19 has had significant impacts on pregnant, birthing and postpartum families. Isolation, lack of social support, financial challenges and health concerns all contribute to the stress that expectant families are experiencing. Many childbirth classes and postpartum support groups, along with prenatal care visits with health care providers have pivoted to virtual offerings and in-person connection is limited at best.
August 27, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza
To close out National Breastfeeding Month in the United States, it is only appropriate to have August's Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators be focused on an activity focused on breast/chestfeeding. Additionally, since many people are still needing to conduct virtual classes due to COVID-19 risks in their communities, I decided to offer up something that can be done either virtually or in person, depending on your own circumstances. Please enjoy this simple and quick breast/chestfeeding quiz that you can share with your classes. To find all our monthly Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators, follow this link.
August 25, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
In the United States, August is National Breastfeeding Month. The last week of the month is observed as Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) to raise awareness of the importance and celebration of breast/chestfeeding for Black parents and babies. If you are not sure why such a week is needed, you can read this beautifully written and informative post by Kimberly Seals Allers that effectively answers that question.
August 18, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As National Breast/Chestfeeding Month continues in the United States, there is a very positive update to the just released Healthy People 2030 goals. The Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) project "sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade" for residents of the United States and updates the 2020 goals. These newly released objectives include two lactation goals for new parent/baby dyads: Increase the number of infants who are exclusively breast/chestfed at 6 months and increase the number of infants who are nursing at 12 months.
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