Today Royal Philips announced that the first Philips Avent Global Scientific Symposium took place in London on February 16-17th 2017, bringing together 70 healthcare professionals in the field of breastfeeding and infant feeding practice to share their latest knowledge and experiences.
The expert forum enabled neonatologists, midwives, lactation consultants, doctors, paediatricians and infant feeding experts from more than 20 countries, including the UK, to discuss the impact and opportunities for global breastfeeding practices posed by the changing digital technology landscape.
In conjunction with the event, Philips Avent launched a brand new mother and child care website for healthcare professionals – http://www.philips.co.uk/avent/professional.
For 30 years Philips Avent has been working with a global network of scientific experts, research institutes, healthcare professionals and patients to offer unique insights and expertise and this website accumulates the extensive knowledge gathered over this period.
Addressing the launch of the website Maylis Galeano, Marketing Manager UK&I, Philips Avent said:
Healthcare professionals are often the main point of contact for new mothers helping them make informed decisions regarding breastfeeding their baby. Over the past 30 years we’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge, and as we continue to invest in researching into this field we’ve created a one-stop shop of information for healthcare professionals to ensure every baby has a strong start and to set the stage for a healthy future.
Visitors to the site have access to a host of educational and training and tools, the latest clinical trial and research findings as well as patient support tools.
As a midwife, one of the most frequent conversations I have with my patients is about breastfeeding and infant feeding. Therefore, having a host of practical solutions to feeding challenges is paramount for my work."
"The new Philips Avent website provides me and my team with a go-to place to find out the latest updates on baby and infant feeding so we can keep offering our patients the best advice”
Vicki Scott, Midwife and owner of New Baby Company, London.
At the symposium ten guest speakers, with almost 150 years’ experience between them, provided their expertise on a wide variety of topics, from breastfeeding evolution and human milk banks to digital technologies supporting breastfeeding, via cutting-edge workshops and keynote presentations. This fostered a dialogue on new perspectives and strategies in modern breastfeeding practice amongst the audience.
Following the presentations, Scientific Chair of the Symposium, Professor Mary Fewtrell said:
With constant developments in knowledge and technology, events like this allow healthcare professionals involved in the breastfeeding and infant feeding community to come together to explore new ideas to ensure we give mothers the best possible advice for their newborns. For example, human milk is the optimum diet for all infants but may have particular benefits for high risk groups such as those born preterm. Mothers who deliver a preterm infant may need to express milk for prolonged periods, and new insights can help us as healthcare professionals support and advise mothers on how to maximise their milk production.
Philips Avent knows that the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life are the most influential in their development, and breastfeeding is a significant part of this. As a true partner, Philips Avent is supporting breastfeeding practice globally and is committed to bringing much-needed attention to some of the key barriers to mothers continuing to breastfeed.
Philips Avent is continually investing in innovation and research to find solutions to help healthcare professionals and women achieve their breastfeeding goals into the future.