Consumer ResourcesNew breastfeedingbook, postersThe Womanly Art <strong>of</strong> Breastfeedingis a staple in manymidwifery clinics’ client lendinglibraries.First published over 50 yearsago as a booklet, the publicationhas grown with La LecheLeague International to be one<strong>of</strong> the world’s leading authoritieson breastfeeding.A brand-new edition is nowavailable. Written by Canadianauthor and breastfeedingexpert Teresa Pitman, the <strong>2010</strong>version includes technical informationalong with mothers’stories and handy tear-sheets.<strong>Ontario</strong> government introduces expanded online newbornregistration serviceWith just a few clicks, <strong>Ontario</strong> parentscan now apply online for child benefitprograms, including the <strong>Ontario</strong> ChildBenefit, when they register theirnewborns.In partnership with the Canada RevenueAgency and Service Canada, theService<strong>Ontario</strong> website has expandedits Newborn Registration Serviceapplication. This online service nowprovides a quick, easy and secure way forparents to register their newborn, applyfor a birth certificate, a Social InsuranceNumber Card and Canada Child Benefits.This expanded service lets parentscombine four separate applications intoone easy-to-use online process from thecomfort <strong>of</strong> their home. No waiting inline and faster processing times makesit easier for busy new parents to crossanother thing <strong>of</strong>f their to-do list.Ligue La Leche, the Quebecdivision, has a new series <strong>of</strong>breastfeeding posters for salein English and French.Order here: www.allaitement.ca/produits/affiches.phpCanadian PaediatricSociety calls for milk banksPasteurized human milk is arecommended alternative forhospitalized sick newborns when theirown mother’s milk is not available,according to a new statement by theCanadian Paediatric Society. Thestatement, published in the Novemberissue <strong>of</strong> Paediatrics & Child Health,says that human milk banking inCanada should be encouraged andpromoted.“The most vulnerable babies shouldreceive human milk,” said Dr.Sharon Unger, principal author <strong>of</strong>the statement and member <strong>of</strong> theCPS Nutrition and GastroenterologyCommittee. “Only about half <strong>of</strong> themothers <strong>of</strong> these babies will have anadequate milk supply, sometimesbecause they are sick themselves, ordue to the stress <strong>of</strong> having a very sickbaby or from being separated fromtheir baby.”Yet the supply <strong>of</strong> donor breastmilk in Canada is limited. The onlyhuman milk bank in Canada, based inVancouver, can’t meet the needs <strong>of</strong> allbabies who could benefit.The statement recommends strictcontrols on how and when humandonor milk should be used. It alsorecommends continued research intothe benefits <strong>of</strong> banked human breastmilk for preterm infants in the NICU.To access the full statement, visit:www.cps.ca8 ontario midwife • <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2010</strong>
Research / Government InitiativesEileen Hutton, RM, PhD, recently accepted a five-year, endowed pr<strong>of</strong>essorship at Vrije University in Amsterdam in theMidwifery Science Division, the first midwife to ever carry the title “Pr<strong>of</strong>essor” in the Netherlands.Midwife-researcher appointed to Dutch pr<strong>of</strong>essorshipThough <strong>Ontario</strong> has borrowed much fromthe Dutch model <strong>of</strong> midwifery care, it isnow our turn to give back.This past summer, Eileen Hutton, RM,PhD accepted a five-year, endowedpr<strong>of</strong>essorship at Vrije University inAmsterdam in the Midwifery ScienceDivision. Hutton is the first midwife toever hold a pr<strong>of</strong>essorship role in theNetherlands, as most midwifery educatorsthere hold a lecturer title.“I think someone from Canada iswell-suited to move into that positionsince our model is so highly influencedby their model,” Hutton said. “It is veryfitting that we borrowed from them andare now contributing to their programs.”She will continue with her role asassistant dean <strong>of</strong> the Midwifery <strong>of</strong>Education Program at McMasterUniversity, where her researchbackground is already a valuable asset.In addition to her bachelor in nursing,master’s in parent child nursing andmidwifery degree, Hutton holds a PhD inclinical epidemiology – the study <strong>of</strong> healthpatterns amongst populations.Her research work has garnered herseveral awards, including the MichaelSmith Foundation for Health ResearchCareer Scholar award, the CanadianInstitutes <strong>of</strong> Health Research NewInvestigator Award as well as the Society<strong>of</strong> Obstetricians and Gynaecologists <strong>of</strong>Canada Western Regional Award.Hutton has been a coauthor in at least 10academic research papers investigatingtopics such as home birth, sterile waterinjections to treat pain, external cephalicversion, breech birth and late versus earlycord clamping. Her research focuses onclinical trial methodology and knowledgetranslation.For the Dutch pr<strong>of</strong>essorship, Hutton willbe mainly working with other pr<strong>of</strong>essorsand academics from a research point <strong>of</strong>view, rather than in a traditional teachingposition. She sees the role as beingtransitional and hopes that after her termis up, there will be Dutch midwives whowill be able to move into the position.She currently plans to travel to theNetherlands several times a year.Hutton’s new role as the Vrije head <strong>of</strong> themidwifery sciences department evolvedover time. Three years ago she visitedthe university to learn more about theirresearch and research units.Following this came the idea that Huttoncould take on the duties <strong>of</strong> a visitingpr<strong>of</strong>essor, which eventually developedinto the current pr<strong>of</strong>essorship role. Huttonthinks it is a good fit for both Canadaand the Netherlands. While the Dutchinstitute will make use <strong>of</strong> her expertise todevelop its research capacity, Hutton andother researchers will benefit from thecountry’s longer history <strong>of</strong> midwifery care<strong>Midwives</strong> support NursePractitioner scope reviewThis summer, the provincialgovernment announcedconsiderations to expand the role<strong>of</strong> nurse practitioners by allowingthem to admit, discharge andtransfer patients in-hospital andannounced a public consultationlooking into how patients wouldbenefit from these changes.The AOM took the opportunityto submit a letter <strong>of</strong> support,highlighting lessons learned fromthe integration <strong>of</strong> midwives intohospitals.When midwives gained hospitalprivileges with regulation, ittranslated into benefits for bothhospitals and patients – midwiferyclients are known to havesignificantly shorter hospital staysand lower rates <strong>of</strong> readmission.Nurse practitioners with a greaterrange <strong>of</strong> responsibility in hospitalscould result in similar benefits.The government is now reviewingfeedback it received in theconsultation process and plans tomeet with individual stakeholdersthroughout the fall.When Bill 179 was passed lastDecember, nurse practitioners’ roleswere expanded to allow them tocommunicate diagnoses to patients,to perform procedures below thedermis and to order X-rays withoutrestrictions, among other things.The new push from governmentto expand the role <strong>of</strong> nursepractitioners is part <strong>of</strong> the FamilyHealth Care for All Strategy – whichaims to address patients who donot have a primary care provider– and comes in advance <strong>of</strong> theexpected opening <strong>of</strong> 25 nursepractitioner-led clinics in <strong>Ontario</strong> in2012.and rich study population.“Access to a country where midwifery isthe norm and where large numbers <strong>of</strong>women receive midwifery care – alongwith building collegial relationships – willhave benefit to us as well,” Hutton said.www.aom.on.ca09