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Optimizing the Nutrition Journey for the <1500 g Infant

Mom feeding her baby

RDs In Practice is an educational program aimed at advancing clinical knowledge and ideas in specialty areas of pediatric nutrition. Didactic lectures, question/answer sessions, and networking opportunities will allow time for attendees to discuss emerging topics, evidence based practice and solutions to practice dilemmas.

Date: July 10, 2014

More Information: Shonda Brown, RD at rdsinpractice@choc.org or 714-509-7829.

 

Program Objectives

  1. Understand the challenges associated with the ELBW/VLBW infant, including the management principles for the first 10 days of life.
  2. Understand the key elements to provide aggressive nutrition support to the ELBW/VLBW infant in the first 30 days of life.
  3. Understand the critical exposure periods to human milk; how to custom fortify human milk; and what to do when the maternal milk supply diminishes.
  4. Understand the role of the feeding therapist in ELBW/VLBW infant – assessing the sensory development and feeding readiness.

Target Audience

Neonatal Dietitians. This program is also appropriate for dietitians working in other areas of practice as well as registered nurses.

Program Faculty

Mindy Morris, DNP, MS, BSN, Neonatology Nurse Practitioner, CHOC
Mindy graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas with her BSN, obtained her MS degree from California State University, Long Beach, her neonatal nurse practitioner certification from Loma Linda University, and her DNP from Brandman University. Her entire nursing career has been in the NICU. She currently works as a neonatal nurse practitioner and is the Extremely Low Birth Weight Program Coordinator in the NICU at CHOC Hospital.

Sue Freck, RD, CSP, CNSC, CLEC, Clinical Dietitian, CHOC
Sue received her BS in Home Economics from Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA. She also has credentials in Pediatric Specialty (CSP), Nutrition Support (CNSC) and Lactation (CLEC). As a clinical pediatric dietitian with a 32 year tenure at CHOC, Sue has been afforded a diverse career in pediatric nutrition including endocrine, critical care, nephrology, and neonatology. Previous managerial experience includes CHOC CNM, Director of CHOC’s EMR (Cerner) project, and CCS surveyor. Her current expertise is in neonatal nutrition with a focus on the care of the ELBW & high risk infants. Sue works with an outstanding interdisciplinary team in the NICU and is involved in various QI initiatives and IRB studies, as well as serves as a preceptor/lecturer for neonatal nutrition.

Karin Mitchell, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech and Language Pathologist, CHOC
Karin received her BA in Communication Disorders at Biola University, La Mirada, CA and her MA in Speech Pathology at California State University, Fullerton, CA. Karin has been practicing as a pediatric Speech Pathologist since 1995 and currently serves as the one of the lead therapists for the NICU and Feeding Team at CHOC Hospital in Orange, CA. She has a strong theory base in Neuro-developmental Treatment (NDT) and Sensory Integration (SI), and has received certifications in Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS®) and VitalStim®. As an active member of numerous quality improvement committees, Karin has helped develop unit protocols and care plans for appropriate developmental care in CHOC’s Small Baby Unit. She speaks nationally on pediatric feeding and swallowing analysis and has developed online education opportunities with a focus on modified barium swallow studies. She is a strong advocate for breast-feeding and speaks at local associations to support breast-feeding for the medically fragile infant.

Program