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BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 05, 2020 -- The International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation (ICHMSI) will host its first European regional conference in Barcelona, Spain, 7-8 February 2020, in partnership with the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI). Chaired by professors Angelika Berger, M.D., from the Medical University of Vienna and William D. Rhine, M.D., of Stanford University School of Medicine, ICHMSI hosts the latest scientific research on human milk and its current and potential clinical applications.
The ICHMSI is the premier forum for thought leaders and medical experts in human milk science and research. This year’s conference will explore the microbiome’s influence on the gut-brain axis in premature infants, featuring scientists and researchers from across Europe.
Recent research on the microbiome points to the direct connection between gut health and the brain of premature infants,1 and a correlation between human milk nutrition and a healthy infant microbiome.2 Clinicians from Europe, Japan and the U.S. will share medical advances and recent microbiome revelations that are bolstering the survival and critical development of extremely premature infants worldwide. They will also discuss advanced feeding protocols to achieve healthy growth using human milk nutrition.
“It is an honor to co-chair the International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation during its European debut,” Dr. Berger said. “The conference will unite clinicians from all throughout the world to explore the full potential of human milk science in our smallest neonates.”
Dr. Rhine added, “The leadership and support of EFCNI and Dr. Berger extends the global reach of this year’s conference, attracting a new subset of European clinicians. Bringing the conference to Europe for the first time will open the channels for greater insight into the various European clinical practices regarding human milk.”
This year’s event will also feature the presentation of the third recipient of the Ruth A. Lawrence Investigator Award for Research in Human Milk Science. The winner receives a $10,000 USD award and will have the opportunity to present their research to attendees during the next ICHMSI conference. Established in 2016 in honor of Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., a pioneer in the field of human lactation and breastmilk, the award supports original research in human milk science and breastfeeding medicine.
About the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants
The European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) is the first pan-European organization and network to represent the interests of preterm and newborn infants and their families. It gathers together parents, health care experts from different disciplines and scientists with the common goal of improving the long-term health of preterm and newborn children by ensuring the best possible prevention, treatment, care and support. For more information, visit www.efcni.org.
About the International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation
The International Conference on Human Milk Science and Innovation is the premier forum covering the latest in scientific and clinical research related to human milk. Renowned scientists and clinicians from around the world attend this event to present and discuss the scientific potential of human milk and raise awareness of its clinical applicability. The conference is sponsored by Prolacta Bioscience.
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1 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/health/microbiome-brain-behavior-dementia.html
2 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/health/breastmilk-microbiome-parenting.html