Dr. Cecília Tomori is an Associate Professor and Director of Global Public Health and Community Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing with a joint appointment at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is a Hungarian-American anthropologist and public health scholar whose work investigates the structural and sociocultural drivers that shape health, illness, and health inequities. Dr. Tomori is internationally recognized for her expertise on breastfeeding, infant sleep, and maternal child health. She is an author of the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series, three books on breastfeeding and reproduction, and numerous publications on a range of public health issues
Topic Overview: This talk will provide an overview of the key findings from the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series, including the latest science on how breastfeeding impacts infant and young child health as well as maternal health; the global status of breastfeeding; and the determinants of breastfeeding success. The talk will highlight systemic barriers to breastfeeding, with a focus on how commercial milk formula industry tactics undermine breastfeeding globally and in the US. Finally, the presentation will identify concrete steps for creating enabling environments for breastfeeding and a more equitable, resilient first-food system in a time of accelerating emergencies.
Objectives for the presentation:
1) Learners will be able to describe the health impacts of breastfeeding across the life-course and the key determinants of breastfeeding success
2) Learners will be able to identify how typical human infant behavior is reframed by commercial milk formula marketing to increase profits
3) Learners will be able to identify the elements of the commercial milk formula marketing playbook that undermine breastfeeding
4) Learners will be able to identify and take concrete steps to implement enabling, equitable, and resilient systems to support breastfeeding