Georgia Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician Certification Program

24/07/2025

Too often, disabled parents don’t get the support they need postpartum, although they have babies at about the same rate as those without disabilities. In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, which raises awareness about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, we’re hosting a webinar to discuss how to support new parents with a variety of disabilities in lactation and breastfeeding their child.

We'll hear from Alesha Thomas, BS, IBCLC, a disabled certified lactation consultant, mom, and founder of the Adaptive Parent Project, as well as Elizabeth Campbell Soper and Norma Morán, who will share their strategies, insights, and lived experiences around breastfeeding with disabilities and deafness.

Register on Zoom: https://zurl.co/UMvAl

We will be providing ASL and Zoom automated captions. For any other accommodations, please contact us at lurie@brandeis.edu as soon as possible.

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Image Description: Graphic for a webinar titled "Lactation and Breastfeeding with a Disability" on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 12 PM ET, featuring speakers Alesha Thomas, Elizabeth Campbell Soper, and Norma Morán. The flyer features a purple background with speaker photos and accessibility icons indicating the availability of sign language interpretation and closed captioning.

03/07/2025

Does breastfeeding really matter to babies’ health in high-resource countries like the US & UK? Yes concluded a brand-new 2025 systematic review. Babies who don’t receive human milk are at increased risk for childhood leukemia, SIDS, ear infections, GI infections, lower respiratory infections, and a host of others. Read more about it here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40240318/

17/06/2025

Another story about GBC Board Member Patricia Prime

HEARTWARMING: This is the moment a Macon woman learned she's being honored with the Piedmont Macon Community Hero Award. The reason? She turned personal tragedy into a life-saving mission in Georgia. Here's how

FULL STORY: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/life/heartwarming/sfth/macon-nurse-patricia-prime-honored-for-maternal-health-advocacy/93-2d94a474-6200-4504-8334-750a5de44070?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_13_WMAZ

26/02/2025

Join us tomorrow!🥳

Are you someone who supports new families and wants to learn more about what makes someone a Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician? Pediatricians, are you hoping to better attract newborns to your practice and learn strategies to better support your patients in meeting their breastfeeding goals? Join us for a special webinar with two Certified Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatricians. Research shows that physicians receive limited medical training in the knowledge base, clinical management skills, and attitudes needed to provide optimal support for breastfeeding families. Our program and this webinar are based on the AAP Clinical Report: The Breastfeeding Friendly Pediatric Office Practice. Don't miss this opportunity to improve breastfeeding outcomes in your patient population.

Faculty:
Brandy Gheesling, MD, IBCLC, NABBLM-C
Daphne Esho, MD

February 27 at 12:30 pm EST
Via GoToWebinar

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3334988535214161497

13/02/2025

WABE is hosting a community conversation about pregnancy and postpartum mental health.

Join WABE Health Reporter Jess Mador and a panel of Georgia maternal health experts with lived experience — they’ll take questions and share resources for staying safe and healthy during pregnancy and beyond.

WABE wants to hear from you! Add your voice to this important conversation.

https://www.wabe.org/events/maternal-mental-health-community-conversation/

Send a message to learn more

13/01/2025

Are you someone who supports new families and wants to learn more about what makes someone a Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician? Pediatricians, are you hoping to better attract newborns to your practice and learn strategies to better support your patients in meeting their breastfeeding goals? Join us for a special webinar with two Certified Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatricians. Research shows that physicians receive limited medical training in the knowledge base, clinical management skills, and attitudes needed to provide optimal support for breastfeeding families. Our program and this webinar are based on the AAP Clinical Report: The Breastfeeding Friendly Pediatric Office Practice. Don't miss this opportunity to improve breastfeeding outcomes in your patient population.

Faculty:
Brandy Gheesling, MD, IBCLC, NABBLM-C
Daphne Esho, MD

February 27 at 12:30 pm EST
Via GoToWebinar

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3334988535214161497

06/12/2024

Our new Breastfeeding Fundamentals Webinar Package from EPIC® closes the gap between real-world clinical practice and the training and knowledge you need to support your breastfeeding patients/families.

The Georgia Chapter- American Academy of Pediatrics, with the generous partnership of the Georgia Department of Public Health and human lactation experts across Georgia, brings you this series of three one-hour fundamental webinars at no cost to you or your practice/institution.

On-demand and including enduring continuing education hours for physicians and nurses (Continuing Medical Education and Nursing Contact Hours), you and your team can access this practice-changing education at any time. The three engaging sessions will empower you with essential knowledge and practical insights, laying the groundwork for optimal infant and maternal health. Enhance your clinical skills by exploring real-world scenarios and delving into lactation management. Learn communication strategies that foster connections and effective patient communication. Participate in all or just one, as your time and interests allow. Augment this fundamental education by participating in our live quarterly clinical webinars on special topics, or review recordings of past quarterly clinical webinars in our On-Demand Library.

Click here to access the Breastfeeding Fundamentals: https://gaepic.org/bf-on-demand-library

30/10/2024

We are excited to announce the latest recipient of Georgia’s Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician Certification! The Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition have partnered in recognizing and empowering pediatricians who provide excellent support for their patients' breastfeeding journeys.
Congratulations to our newly certified Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician, Dr. Haylee Sprangers of Children's Hospital of Georgia in Augusta!

Dr. Haylee Sprangers is a current pediatric resident physician at the Children's Hospital of Georgia. Breastfeeding became a passion for her after breastfeeding her own child and gaining a better understanding of all the things that are important to know about breastfeeding that even as a trained physician she had never learned. She spent her advocacy rotation researching the breastfeeding disparities in Georgia and hopes to be a part of the solution to this problem. She plans to pursue a career in pediatric intensive care and has a special interest in researching the benefits of breastfeeding in infants with congenital heart disease and other complex medical conditions as well as promotion of breastfeeding support for mothers of hospitalized infants. Dr. Sprangers was included as an important part of the MCG/Augusta University Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician Cohort this year. She is exceptional in that she scored the highest score of all of our candidates on the final Knowledge Test! Congratulations!

22/10/2024

Register for our newest webinar based on the newly released AAP Clinical Report. Join us for an informative webinar on the multidisciplinary approach for symptomatic tongue ties using evidence-based medicine. Ask questions and engage in a meaningful discussion on this important topic. Join us to elevate your understanding of this important field!

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/479716265713993816

November 7, 2024 at 12:30 pm EST

Faculty:
Hiral Lavania, MD, IBCLC, FAAP
Erik Bauer, MD, FAAP
Priya Gulati, DDS
Kiana Ayers, RN, IBCLC

16/10/2024

We are excited to announce the latest recipient of Georgia’s Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician Certification! The Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition partnered to recognizing and empowering pediatricians who provide excellent support for their patients' breastfeeding journeys.
Congratulations to our newly certified Breastfeeding-Friendly Pediatrician, Dr. Lisa Leggio of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University!

Dr. Leggio, Md, FAAP, is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Emory University and medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia and has been a faculty member in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia since 2000. Her passion is helping patients, parents, faculty, residents, and students to become better people, parents, teachers, and doctors. She is a general pediatrician who enjoys seeing newborns through college-aged young adults. Much of her career has involved teaching, advising, and mentoring. Her non-clinical roles include Associate Director of the Office for Faculty Success, Vice Chair for Faculty Development, and longitudinal career advisor. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and adult children, reading, listening to podcasts, and being in nature.

01/10/2024

Safe and contamination-free spaces in shelters for infant feeding can substantially improve the evacuation and displacement experience for families in disaster.

01/10/2024