Conference Speakers
Every year, leading clinicians and researchers working in the field of Maternal Child Health share their expertise through our unique online learning system. Our education team works hard to provide cutting-edge, evidence-based programming. Join speakers from around the world to increase your knowledge and learn how to translate it to clinical practice through our interactive platform.
We are pleased to present the line-up of main speakers below for our GOLD Tongue-Tie Online Conference 2024! These speakers have been selected by our program committee to ensure we are bringing you the most up to date and relevant content that we can. Click on the topics below to review further details on each presentation.
This year, there will be 12 Speakers offering a total of 13.5 hours of education.
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Allyson is a physical therapist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and co-owner of Nurture Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Ohio University in 1997, and Master of Physical Therapy degree from Northwestern University in 1999. After having a child in 2007, she volunteered as a La Leche League leader. She discovered a love for supporting new parents but a gap in lactation care, which led her to become an IBCLC in 2014.
Her clinical approach to identifying and overcoming feeding challenges is unique with physical therapy foundations in posture, movement and reflexive function. Through presentations she endeavors to engage IBCLCs to know more about movement as related to human lactation, and physical therapists to learn about breastfeeding as related to human development. As past-president (2019-2021) of the Ohio Lactation Consultant Association, she also advocates for equitable access to and health plan coverage for lactation care. Publications include co-authorship in the Journal of Human Lactation (2022), American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing (2021), and Clinical Lactation (2020).
Knowledge of whole-body movement, reflexes, and posture as related to breastfeeding is essential to IBCLC competency. A newborn human emerges from a physiological flexed position from which gradual unwinding occurs over months. Functional breastfeeding facilitates unwinding, requiring upper body extension, reflexive movement, and reciprocal posturing between each breast. Compensatory breastfeeding inhibits movement progression, coordination of upper body posture, lower body stability and the reflexive motion expected for functional feeding. Examples of compensations during feeding may include chomping, limited jaw gaping, excessive jaw excursion, clicking, arching, burrowing, and whole-body restlessness. Signs of compensations can include lip blistering, favoring one side, head turning preference, and overactive or underactive reflexes. All should be assessed and optimized in preparation for oral restriction assessment. This presentation will focus on improving posture, infant-led/reflexive breast attachment, feeding frequency/motor memory, and emotional well-being before and after frenectomy. Identifying and addressing whole body compensations and inefficient movement patterns will be reviewed. Resources for expanding expertise as well as when care beyond one’s own expertise may be necessary will be provided. Presented by an IBCLC/physical therapist, breastfeeding as a vital sign and first movement milestone in need of more definition as such across the healthcare continuum will be underscored.
Annette has been a maternal child health registered nurse for over 36 years. She took her first IBCLC exam in 1995. She started her craniosacral therapy Upledger training in 2015, and continued to take advanced classes yearly as well as serving as a teacher's assistant. Annette owns two businesses, Orlando Lactation and Wellness Services and is a partner business owner of Baby BLISS: Central Florida Feeding Collaborative. She enjoys working with families, earning their trust and teaching them how to latch onto parenting through feeding and educational support.
Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle health modality that dates back to the 19th century. The primary focus of CST is to self-facilitate the body’s healing by releasing obstructions in the fascia, muscles and nervous system. In the case of tethered oral tissues, AKA tongue ties, we often see tension and tissue strain patterns in the baby’s whole body that stretches from head to their toes. This gentle, noninvasive treatment is performed with 1-5 grams of light touch that frees the body of restrictions which may have occurred during pregnancy, birth or other injury. By relieving this tension, it helps the baby relax to feed better, move their body easier, manage their gas and eliminate easily. The timing of this tool for pre- and post-tongue tie release is important in assisting with preparing and healing the body. The case reviews will demonstrate how this biodynamic bodywork can benefit a baby from feeding or sleep concerns to digestive issues or a misshapen head by regulating their autonomic nervous system.
Asti Praborini, MD, Pediatrician, IBCLC has 34 years of experience as a pediatrician, which has convinced her that nothing is more important and valuable than breastfeeding for both mother and baby.
As a international speaker, she continues the campaign promoting the benefits of breastfeeding, despite formula marketing that is pervasive in the country. She established the first hospital-based lactation team in Indonesia that works ultimately to help mothers breastfeed their babies, and now leads three lactation teams in different hospitals. She is practicing frenotomy for anterior as well as posterior tongue tie and lip tie, established her own method for hospitalization of nipple confusion, supplementation, adoptive nursing, and many others.
She also devoted her time to give pro bono service to the poor in the pediatric clinic of LKC Dompet Dhuafa and received the LKC award in 2011, 2018,2021. She is now a Fellow of Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM)
Tongue tie reduces pharyngeal pressure by restricting the tongue's range of motion, which has a significant effect on the oral phase of swallowing. A lingual frenotomy facilitates the mobility of the tongue during swallowing by releasing the tension in the frenulum. This study describes a 36-day-old female newborn with feeding difficulties due to a tongue tie, resulting in malnutrition. Through careful and thorough assessment of the tongue's function and the breastfeeding history, the baby went from dependence on a feeding tube to breastfeeding. This presentation will demonstrate the importance of detailed assessment, examination, and treatment of the breastfeeding dyad, particularly in very serious cases of malnutrition and poor growth.
Justin is a Consultant Paediatrician who has worked in both the UK and Ireland. He has had an interest in Tongue Ties for over 15 years and has created multi-disciplinary pathways of care. He is Medical Director of the National Tongue Tie Centre in County Tipperary, Ireland which he established with Kate Roche, a Chartered Physiotherapist, in 2017. There he and the team provide comprehensive care for infants, children and adults with tethered oral tissues.
This presentation delves into the nuanced realm of tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) from a personal and professional perspective, offering a comprehensive overview of its management and long-term effects. Drawing on years of clinical experience as a pediatrician, as well as personal reflections, our speaker from Ireland explores the multifaceted approach to tongue-tie care, encompassing surgical techniques, the critical importance of post-surgical functional adaptation, and the mechanics of normal feeding. The discussion extends beyond the procedural to address the broader implications of missed or untreated tongue ties, including potential feeding difficulties, speech issues, and dental problems. By shedding light on these aspects, the talk aims to arm healthcare professionals with the knowledge to make informed decisions in diagnosing and managing tongue-tie, ultimately facilitating improved health outcomes from infancy through adulthood.
Kate is a Chartered Physiotherapist who specialises in working with babies, children and adults with oral dysfunction.
Having trained at the University of Liverpool in the UK, she worked in both Leeds and Southampton, where she led and delivered the regional neonatal service for pre-term and high-risk infants, before moving to Ireland in 2003. She is a member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Over the years Kate has traveled many times gaining extra training in areas that support her work in the field of oral dysfunction including Feeding Therapy, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Craniosacral Therapy.
Kate and her husband, Dr Justin Roche, own and run the National Tongue Tie Centre in Ireland leading a large multidisciplinary team providing both specialised care and education in tongue tie.
Treatment of tongue tie is multi-faceted. Releasing the structural restriction of Ankyloglossia allows for a change in function but therapy is needed to help this process as habits are already formed, however young the patient. Facilitating new neural pathways will help achieve normal movement patterns in place of compensatory strategies. These compensations cause tension within the body that can block free movement of the oral structures. Tension can also lead to asymmetries which make achieving postural stability difficult. This lack of postural stability or misalignment within the body structures also hinders the fine motor coordination needed for optimal oral motor skills. This talk aims to discuss how to approach treating infants with Ankyloglossia whilst taking all these factors into account.
Leslie has been providing lactation support in Central New Jersey for over 20 years - as a La Leche League (LLL) leader for 20 years, an IBCLC for WIC from 2014 to 2016, and in private practice IBCLC since 2011.
Leslie grew up in New York and New Jersey. She graduated from Cook College/Rutgers with a BS in Biochemistry, and from Rutgers University/UMDNJ with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Leslie's difficulties with early breastfeeding, the help she received from LLL, and challenges with returning to work laid the foundation for her understanding of the importance of skilled and compassionate lactation and infant feeding support.
IBCLCs assess chest/breast and bottle feeding skills, as well as infant oral and body structures and motions that contribute to, or inhibit, the process of feeding at the breast/chest or bottle. This presentation will focus on the role of the IBCLC when ties have been released - emphasizing the crucial nature of taking into account what occurs prior to, during and after a tie-release. IBCLCs look at not only the function of an infant’s oral skills and structures, but also the infant’s body as a whole; as well as the emotional and physical experience of the lactating parent, family dynamics, and feeding goals - and using this information to create a manageable plan for the family, adjusting milestones and goals as infant feeding skills and parent goals change; and guiding the possible role of other healthcare providers during a case.
Lisa Paladino is an IBCLC and CNM in private practice in Staten Island, NY. Lisa worked for 28 years at Staten Island University Hospital before establishing her private practice in 2015. At the Hospital, she co-founded and coordinated the Breastfeeding Initiative and worked in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health on efforts toward achieving the "Baby Friendly" designation.
Currently, Lisa offers courses for parents and professionals on the topic of breastfeeding and tongue tie. She produces the weekly show, the "Tongue Tie Experts Podcast", and provides education to parents and professionals, through the Tongue Tie Experts brand on Facebook and Instagram. She is the author of the book, "It Shouldn't Hurt to Nurse Your Baby: Healing the Six Most Common Causes of Nipple Pain" She loves to lecture and educate the world on the importance of breastfeeding for the health of infants and the developing airway.
Personally, Lisa is happily married to her college sweetheart, has raised seven children, and is a proud grandma. She enjoys reading, watching the NY Mets, traveling, and walking in nature.
Since the identification of tethered oral tissues (TOTs) is a functional assessment, in order to be complete, maternal assessment must be included. In this presentation, we will discuss how the function of the breastfeeding infant is affected by maternal factors, including discomfort, milk supply, birth experience, and lack of prior education/support. It is important to assess, not only if there is a tie, but whether the tie is what is causing the feeding concerns. This paradigm extends to readiness for release of TOTs and considers maternal/family readiness as an indicator for successful procedure.
Melissa Cole is a board-certified lactation consultant, neonatal oral-motor assessment professional and clinical herbalist in private practice. Melissa is passionate about providing comprehensive, holistic lactation support and improving the level of clinical lactation skills for health professional. She enjoys teaching, researching and writing about wellness and lactation-related topics. Her bachelor’s degree is in maternal/child health and lactation and her master’s degree is in therapeutic herbalism. Before pursuing her current path, Melissa’s background was in education and cultural arts, which has served her well in her work as a lactation consultant and healthcare educator. She loves living, working and playing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her 3 children.
Tongue-tie, clinically known as ankyloglossia, is a dynamic topic that is often surrounded by controversy and mixed opinions. Tongue-tie can restrict proper lingual functionality and mobility, causing a range of feeding and health issues for infants. Such challenges can be complex, multi-factorial, and emotional for families navigating them. Having a better understanding of the variables involved in infant oral function and related ankyloglossia care can help providers best care for the patients they serve. This keynote presentation will highlight how clinicians can foster a mindful approach to oral assessment, timing of treatment, and related care strategies when it comes to supporting families navigating the physical, emotional roller coaster ride of ankyloglossia.
Annette Leary
Annette has been a maternal child health registered nurse for over 36 years. She took her first IBCLC exam in 1995. She started her craniosacral therapy Upledger training in 2015, and continued to take advanced classes yearly as well as serving as a teacher's assistant. Annette owns two businesses, Orlando Lactation and Wellness Services and is a partner business owner of Baby BLISS: Central Florida Feeding Collaborative. She enjoys working with families, earning their trust and teaching them how to latch onto parenting through feeding and educational support.
Shifa Shamsudeen
Dr. Shifa Shamsudeen is a Preventive Pediatric dentist with Fellowship in Dental Sleep Medicine from Tufts University and an International Certificant - American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
She provides holistic dental care for children from infancy to adolescence. Her field of expertise include functional Tongue tie release, PEDIATRIC DENTAL SLEEP medicine, Orofacial myofunctional therapy and PREVENTIVE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY.
She is the founder and director of WE LITTLE hospitals for providing preventive dental orofacial care since 2011, providing painless, holistic wellness care.
She is the founder of Institute of craniofacial Myology and pediatric sleep - for training professionals in the field of craniofacial myology. She has trained over 50 dentists and allied health professionals so far.
She is the founder and trustee of THE TONGUE FOUNDATION - A NGO initiated to help babies and mothers through establishing breastfeeding.
Dr. Shifa is the founder of Myoline protocol – a strategically curated myofunctional program that helps align teeth naturally without any extractions. She has successfully helped more than 700 children achieve naturally aligned teeth.
She is also the founder of LITTLE WE – preventive holistic dental care centres at tier 3 cities to make dentistry accessible for everyone.
Justin Roche
Justin is a Consultant Paediatrician who has worked in both the UK and Ireland. He has had an interest in Tongue Ties for over 15 years and has created multi-disciplinary pathways of care. He is Medical Director of the National Tongue Tie Centre in County Tipperary, Ireland which he established with Kate Roche, a Chartered Physiotherapist, in 2017. There he and the team provide comprehensive care for infants, children and adults with tethered oral tissues
Post frenotomy care wound care is a topic that frequently creates confusion and controversy within the health care field due to the lack of research available to guide practice guidelines. Join our expert speakers as they discuss the latest thoughts on post frenotomy wound care including its purpose, current approaches to wound care and how it fits into the bigger picture of post frenotomy care, along with gaps in research that could provide areas for future study.
Sarah is a Registered General Nurse, Health Visitor, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Tongue-tie Practitioner with a busy private practice based in Cambridgeshire. Sarah is a founder member and former Chair of The Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners and has written a book for parents and professionals, ‘Why Tongue-tie Matters’. She lectures on infant feeding and tongue-tie nationally and internationally and has her own online course on infant tongue-tie.
In order to advance the care of tongue-tied babies, we must fully examine the concept of tongue function as opposed to tongue appearance. This presentation explores how we can identify deficits in tongue function that will impact feeding. It will review the research on how babies use their tongues during feeding and examine the different assessment tools available and the appropriate use and relevance of these tools. It will also discuss other factors which may impact tongue function and feeding which need to be considered when making a diagnosis of tongue-tie and recommending division.
Sejal is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in private practice and an infant massage educator in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. She combines her professional expertise with her personal instincts as a mother and a supportive team member.
She holds a Bachelors in Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Science.
She also brings with her the following comprehensive toolkit: Certified Educator of Infant Massage, Formerly Certified in skin-to-skin care for full term infants from the United States Institute of Kangaroo Care Certified Provider of Innate Postpartum Care.
She has presented nationally and internationally for GOLD lactation, ILCA, community colleges, local lactation organizations.
As a lactation consultant, she believes that every individual needs to be educated about breast health, optimal infant feeding and how breastfeeding support is a basic human right and can impact world health globally.
She strives to help each family by continuing to learn all she can about breast health, breastfeeding ecology, breastfeeding movement and parent-infant connection using the neurobiological and infant mental health lens.
When she’s not with her clients, you can find her at home in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, listening to bollywood music, hanging out with friends and spending time with her family.
Infant massage has been shown in research to improve weight gain, reduce jaundice and the length of hospital stay for neonates, reduce pain and help enhance parent-infant bonding. While standardized post-frenotomy care is still a work in progress and needs more research, it is vital that we strive to decrease the stress and pain of post-frenotomy care for parents and their infants. Research also shows that parents who learned and performed infant massage experienced reduced anxiety and a stronger attachment with their infant. The goal of this presentation will be teaching lactation professionals how infant massage can be used as an adjunct tool to support families and their infants for a smooth recovery post-frenotomy and re-harmonize the parent-infant bond.
DR SHIFA SHAMSUDEEN is a Preventive Pediatric dentist with Fellowship in Dental Sleep Medicine from Tufts University and an International Certificant - American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
She provides holistic dental care for children from infancy to adolescence. Her field of expertise include functional Tongue tie release, PEDIATRIC DENTAL SLEEP medicine, Orofacial myofunctional therapy and PREVENTIVE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY.
She is the founder and director of WE LITTLE hospitals for providing preventive dental orofacial care since 2011, providing painless, holistic wellness care.
She is the founder of Institute of craniofacial Myology and pediatric sleep - for training professionals in the field of craniofacial myology. She has trained over 50 dentists and allied health professionals so far.
She is the founder and trustee of THE TONGUE FOUNDATION- A NGO initiated to help babies and mothers through establishing breastfeeding.
Dr.Shifa is the founder of Myoline protocol – a strategically curated myofunctional program that helps align teeth naturally without any extractions. She has successfully helped more than 700 children achieve naturally aligned teeth.
She is also the founder of LITTLE WE – preventive holistic dental care centres at tier 3 cities to make dentistry accessible for everyone.
Dr. Shifa has been invited to speak at various international conferences.
Breastfeeding is nature’s mechanism to encourage formation of wider airway and jaws in human beings. Infants learn to become nasal breathers through direct breastfeeding from the mother. Tongue ties often lead to difficulty in breastfeeding or in many cases leads to compensated sucking pattern at the breast that doesn’t encourage the complete tongue palate contact which is imperative for wider maxillary growth and nasal space. The engramming process of tongue suctioning to roof of the mouth is naturally facilitated by direct, exclusive, non-compensated breast feeding. Addressing the tongue tie to encourage uncompensated breastfeeding is the first step towards preventing any form of sleep disordered breathing. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) encompasses a spectrum of issues that affect breathing patterns in sleep. The issues broadly range from simple mouth breathing to severe apneas. Medical literature talks about numerous non-invasive or invasive methods to salvage the situation, however, there are no prevention protocols till date. The major challenge lies in identifying early symptoms of SDB due to lack of knowledge on role of tongue as a respiratory organ and its impact on the craniofacial respiratory complex. When the symptoms suggestive of SDB are recognised by healthcare professionals early, prevention of obstructive sleep apnea is possible.
Trish Wierenga works as a private practice IBCLC with her business, Total Lactation Care, LLC and as a nurse practitioner and IBCLC at The Birth Center of Bloomington-Normal in Illinois. Trish has been a nurse since 1998, a lactation consultant in the central Illinois area since 2011, and she became a board-certified family nurse practitioner in 2021. She has also been certified in perinatal mental health by Postpartum Support International since 2021.
Trish is the current Chairperson of the International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP), a member of the Central Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force (CIBTF), and a former board member of the Illinois chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI).
She has spoken at conferences locally and internationally on the role of the IBCLC, breast/body feeding difficulties, and in the assessment and management of tongue and lip tie issues in relation to feeding challenges, mental health, and other facets of wellness. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, Brian and four children.
Symptoms of depression and anxiety can occur in up to 1 in 5 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers during pregnancy or during the first year after the birth of a baby. Feeding difficulties are well-known as a contributing factor in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). The efficient treatment and habilitation of ankyloglossia can potentially impact the mental well-being of our patients. This lecture will discuss the lactation consultant’s role in the assessment of PMADs, suggest strategies for supporting breastfeeding and mental health in the gap between the assessment and treatment of feeding difficulties, and identify resources available for referral, collaboration strategies, and effective communication between the lactation provider and other disciplines included in the ankyloglossia and mental health care team.
Dr. Speakers Full Name
Speaker Credentials
Annet Mulder first became interested in breastfeeding in the year 2000, when she became a mother for the first time. During and because of her own breastfeeding experiences, in 2002 she became a volunteer with the Dutch breastfeeding Organization and in 2008 sat for and passed the exam administered by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. As an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, she now
Annet Mulder first became interested in breastfeeding in the year 2000, when she became a mother for the first time. During and because of her own breastfeeding experiences, in 2002 she became a volunteer with the Dutch breastfeeding Organization text text text text more name mulder first became interested in breastfeeding in the year 2000, when she became.
Dr. Speakers Full Name
Speaker Credentials