If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I LOVE oral anatomy. In fact, it seems like every other post I write has to do with either oral function or oral anatomy and the impact each has on infant feeding.

What better way to kick off the first blog post in this multi-part series than by covering one of the things that interest me the most?!

As I mentioned in the series introduction, assessing feeding ability in a baby with down syndrome is no different than in a baby without it…

Read More

Getting the news that you're expecting a baby who has Down syndrome may send you into a whirlwind of emotion. It's normal to feel scared, worried, disappointed, or angry, both immediately and as the weeks pass bringing you closer to your due date.

For some, you may not get the news until after you've delivered your baby, which provides even less time to digest the diagnosis and make a plan for how to navigate things in the future. You may be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of suggested testing and the number of referrals to various care providers. ..

Read More

My sister recently gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL baby girl, and I have been blessed with the opportunity to watch her settle in and grow into her role as a new mother.

Having a first-hand, real-time view of her journey has helped me in deepening my understanding as to why the first few weeks of breastfeeding are the hardest. It also helps me to make sense of the data we've seen over the years: by three months post-delivery, 43.6% of parents who started out exclusively breastfeeding will no longer be doing so.

While I am happy to have a deeper understanding of the challenges new families face…

Read More