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Medela Launches 2025 Global Breastfeeding & Lactation Symposium Series

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  Published in Science and Technology on Thursday, November 20th 2025 at 8:37 GMT by Toronto Star

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Medela’s 2025 Global Breastfeeding & Lactation Symposium Series: A Worldwide Platform for Advancing Lactation Care

In early March 2025, Medela – the world‑renowned provider of lactation‑supporting medical devices – announced a multi‑continent series of virtual and in‑person symposia aimed at accelerating the science, practice and policy of breastfeeding worldwide. The series, which will run across North America, Europe and Asia, is positioned as a unique convergence of clinicians, researchers, policymakers and mothers, all united under the banner of “Advancing Breastfeeding Through Innovation and Evidence.”

Below is a concise yet comprehensive overview of what the event promises, why it matters, and how Medela plans to make it a transformative moment for global lactation care.

1. The Vision Behind the Symposium Series

Medela’s 2025 symposium series is the company’s largest, most ambitious gathering of lactation professionals to date. In a statement released on the Globe Newswire platform, Medela highlighted four core objectives:

1. Disseminate Cutting‑Edge Research – The conference will host a series of plenary and breakout sessions covering the latest clinical studies on breastfeeding, infant nutrition, and maternal health.
2. Promote Evidence‑Based Practices – By bringing together international guideline authors, experts from the WHO and UNICEF, and local lactation consultants, Medela intends to harmonize best practices across disparate health systems.
3. Showcase Technological Advances – Medela will demonstrate its newest digital pumping solutions, mobile apps, and data‑analytics platforms that help clinicians monitor milk supply and infant feeding patterns.
4. Encourage Policy Advocacy – Through dedicated workshops, the symposium will equip attendees with tools to lobby for better maternity leave, workplace lactation accommodations, and public health initiatives.

“Breastfeeding is a proven public‑health strategy, yet many mothers still face barriers to successful lactation,” said Dr. Sigrid Nørgaard, Medela’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs. “This symposium is about turning those barriers into opportunities by equipping professionals with the knowledge and resources they need.”

2. How the Series Will Be Structured

The 2025 series will consist of three major symposium events – each held in a different region – with a total of approximately 1,200 attendees expected globally. The event calendar is as follows:

All three sessions will include:

• Plenary Keynotes from leading lactation experts such as Dr. Maria Torres (University of Chile), Professor Yuki Tanaka (Tokyo University), and Dr. Amina Hassan (Kenya Medical Research Institute).
• Interactive Panels where participants can ask questions in real time via a dedicated event app.
• Hands‑On Workshops that allow clinicians to practice new pumping protocols or use Medela’s data‑analytics dashboards.
• Networking Lounges (both virtual and physical) to foster collaboration across disciplines.

A key feature of the series is the “Global Lactation Exchange”, an online portal where attendees can share case studies, upload research abstracts, and collaborate on multi‑center studies post‑conference.

3. Highlighted Sessions and Themes

While each symposium will have a broad range of subjects, several focal themes stand out:

3.1. Innovation in Lactation Devices

Medela will unveil its “Next‑Gen Smart Pump”, a lightweight, Bluetooth‑enabled device that tracks volume, frequency, and infant response patterns. The presentation will include clinical trials showing improved milk supply retention in first‑time mothers.

3.2. Digital Health & Data Analytics

A panel titled “From Pumping to Predicting” will discuss how real‑time data collection can help clinicians intervene early for mothers at risk of lactation failure. The session will feature Medela’s LactateIQ platform, a cloud‑based analytics tool that aggregates pump data, feeding logs, and maternal health metrics.

3.3. Policy and Advocacy

The series will dedicate a full day to “Policy for the 21st Century,” inviting representatives from the WHO, UNICEF, and various national ministries to discuss lactation‑friendly maternity leave laws, workplace lactation room standards, and public health funding models.

3.4. Cultural Contexts and Equity

Recognizing that breastfeeding practices vary widely across cultures, one workshop will focus on “Respecting Tradition While Advancing Science.” It will bring together anthropologists, clinicians, and community leaders to craft culturally sensitive lactation support strategies for rural and marginalized communities.

4. Medela’s Commitment to Accessibility

One of the most striking aspects of the symposium series is its emphasis on accessibility:

• Dual‑Format Delivery – Attendees can choose in‑person or virtual attendance, with all presentations simultaneously streamed and archived.
• Financial Aid – Medela is offering a “Lactation Learning Grant” to cover registration fees for early‑career clinicians and researchers from low‑ and middle‑income countries.
• Language Support – Live translation will be provided in English, French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic.

“These initiatives ensure that the knowledge shared at our symposium will reach the global lactation community, not just those who can afford to travel,” explained Medela’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Thomas Green.

5. What Comes Next

Following the 2025 series, Medela plans to establish a Permanent Lactation Research Consortium that will:

• Publish a joint annual report on lactation science.
• Offer a continuous online learning portal with updated courses and certifications.
• Facilitate a global registry of lactation support centers, improving referral pathways and resource allocation.

The company also hinted at potential “mini‑symposia” in the years ahead, focusing on specific topics such as “Maternal Mental Health and Breastfeeding” or “Breastfeeding in the Time of COVID‑19.”

6. Bottom Line

Medela’s 2025 Global Breastfeeding & Lactation Symposium Series is more than a series of conferences; it is a concerted effort to build a unified, evidence‑driven community that can overcome entrenched barriers to breastfeeding. By leveraging cutting‑edge technology, fostering cross‑disciplinary dialogue, and prioritizing inclusivity, Medela hopes to create a lasting ripple effect: higher breastfeeding rates, better infant nutrition, and healthier families worldwide.

For anyone involved in maternal‑child health—whether a clinician, researcher, policymaker or mother—this series offers a unique opportunity to be part of a movement that could reshape the lactation landscape for generations to come.