BE06: Breastmilk, Breastfeeding & the Preterm Baby

CERPs: 12 L CERPs / 12 Lactation Specific Hours / 12 CHs (continuing education credit)
Cost: US$119
Access Time: 1 month (starting from time of purchase)
Enrolling in more than 1 course? Time is cumulative ie buy 2 courses, have 2 months access to both courses
Synopsis: This course will provide students with an understanding of the effects of preterm birth on breastmilk, the importance of breastmilk for preterm infants, and how to facilitate breastmilk feeding and eventually breastfeeding.
Tutor: Sue Cox, RN IBCLC AM
Enrol now: http://health-e-learning.com/enroll

For detailed course information, click on "Read More"

This wholly online course uses course notes, examples, role plays, links to quality educational websites, graphics, a workbook and self-test quizzes to assist the student’s learning. The course is facilitated via the forum by an experienced online tutor. The forum provides a place where topical issues may be raised, case studies discussed, questions posed and answered, links to additional information provided, etc.

Aim

The aim of this course is to provide you with sufficient information to appreciate the critical role of breastmilk and breastfeeding to the nutritional, immunological, developmental and psychological needs of the preterm baby, and to provide you with recent, evidence-based information to assist the mother to provide her breastmilk to, and eventually breastfeed, her preterm baby.

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of this course the student will be able to

  • describe the nutritional needs of the preterm infant, and compare these needs to the biochemistry of the breastmilk of a mother birthing her baby preterm.
  • describe the immunological properties of the colostrum and mature milk of a mother birthing preterm and compare the outcomes of formula-fed and breastmilk-fed infants in terms of infectious diseases
  • compare the gastrointestinal and neurobiological outcomes of formula-fed and breastmilk-fed babies and explain the reasons for the differences
  • describe how the psychological needs of the preterm baby can be adequately met
  • describe how mothers have reported feeling in traditional neonatal intensive care units, then describe how a positive culture can be implemented
  • compare kangaroo mother care with traditional incubator care on infant morbidity, cardio-respiratory stability, thermoregulation, breastfeeding exclusivity and duration, and length of hospital stay, and detail the steps necessary to implement kangaroo mother care in a neonatal intensive care unit
  • describe the process necessary for lactation initiation that will facilitate lactation success
  • describe how to maintain an adequate lactation in terms of hand expressing, pumping frequency and duration, pharmacological and non-pharmacological galactagogues and storage of breastmilk
  • list the points to evaluate oral motor competence and list measures to decrease oral aversion
  • discuss 3 methods reported in the literature on how to transition to full oral feedings
  • describe how to cup feed a baby and how cup feeding and bottle feeding compare in terms of cardio-respiratory stability and nutritional intake.
  • describe the management of the lactational aspects of care of the mother whose baby has died

Prerequisites:

It's very important that you have an excellent understanding of the biochemistry and immunology of breastmilk and the physiology of breastmilk synthesis under normal circumstances before beginning this course.  You should also have completed studies on positioning and latching a baby to the breast for effective breastfeeding.
You could have gained this knowledge from BreastEd courses BE01, BE02 and BE03.

Administration:

BE06 Breastmilk, Breastfeeding and the Preterm Baby is facilitated by an experienced International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
There is a forum where topical issues may be raised, case studies discussed, questions posed and answered, links to additional information provided, etc.
The course is available as a one month subscription commencing on the day of notification to you of your username and password.
The average time taken to complete this course and the assessment is 12 hours.
On successful completion your Certificate will be available to you in pdf format from the course website.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction
  2. The Preterm Infant
    1. Nutritional needs
    2. Immunological needs
    3. Developmental needs
    4. Psychological needs
  3. Caring for the Preterm Baby
    1. Supporting the maternal role
    2. Kangaroo mother care
    3. Initiation of lactation
    4. Maintenance of lactation
    5. From tube to breast
  4. When a baby dies

Required Reading Material

All required reading materials available online

A quality, current counselling text and a lactation text is recommended to augment your studies.

Assessment

Automatically graded online multiple choice questions.

Passing grade is 85%. Unlimited attempts permitted.

A Workbook downloaded from the course is not required to be submitted, but completion will aid learning and provide an excellent resource.

Accreditation

On successful completion of this course you will be awarded:

  • 12 L CERPs*
  • 12 Contact Hours (ANCC)**


*IBLCE Approval Number: C26309
**Health e-Learning is an approved provider of continuing education by the Virginia Nurses’ Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. ANCC Approval 07-01-01

Quality Assurance

  • Author: Denise Fisher, MMP, BN, IBCLC
  • Reviewed by subject matter expert: Sue Cox, IBCLC
  • Course release date: September 2005.
  • Updated as new information becomes available. Reviewed annually.

Enrolment and Fees

Enrollments are accepted online, or upon receipt of a faxed or mailed enrollment form (number and address on enrollment form). Click HERE now to go to the Enrollment page where you can enroll online.

US$119.00 per course

Enrollment period is for one month per course, which is cumulative when you enroll into more than one course; eg. enroll into 4 BreastEd courses and have access to all 4 courses for 4 months.