Breastfeeding Sick Babies Conference

Dr. Diane Spatz, a distinguished nurse researcher and Director of the Lactation Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), has developed a comprehensive 10-step model aimed at enhancing breastfeeding outcomes for sick and vulnerable infants, particularly those in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This model has been adopted as a national standard in the U.S. and implemented globally, including in Thailand .

The Spatz 10-Step Model provides a structured approach for healthcare providers to support lactation in challenging clinical settings. It encompasses:

1. Informed decision-making
2. Establishment and maintenance of milk supply
3. Human milk management
4. Oral care and feeding of human milk
5. Skin-to-skin care
6. Non-nutritive sucking
7. Transition to breast
8. Measuring milk transfer
9. Preparation for discharge
10. Appropriate follow up

Dr. Spatz has conducted workshops and conferences worldwide to train healthcare professionals in this model. Notably, she has presented at the Breastfeeding Sick Babies Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, where her model has been adopted in NICUs .

Through these initiatives, Dr. Spatz emphasizes the critical role of nurses in providing evidence-based lactation care, aiming to improve health outcomes for vulnerable infants globally.