Public lecture - from evidence to impact: protecting human milk and breastfeeding for every pēpi and whānau

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is a global goal, yet it remains out of reach for many whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand. How do we move beyond policy and turn strong evidence into everyday practice that truly supports families?

Professor Spatz shares a globally recognised, nurse-led model designed to protect and promote human milk and breastfeeding. This was first developed for vulnerable infants and is now implemented across diverse health systems worldwide. Recognised for improving health outcomes and reducing costs, this practical framework has shaped neonatal and maternity care internationally.

Focusing on 5 foundational steps that make the greatest difference, Professor Spatz will explore:

• Ensuring informed, supported decision-making
• Protecting the critical window for lactation initiation and milk supply establishment
• Strengthening human milk management practices
• Prioritising safe feeding and oral care with human milk
• Embedding skin-to-skin contact as a standard clinical intervention

Drawing on over 20 years of implementation experience, Professor Spatz will explore how structured, accountable models of care can reduce practice variation, strengthen workforce capability and improve equitable access to human milk, particularly for vulnerable pēpi and their whānau.

This lecture will be of particular interest to university academics, neonatal and maternity clinicians, lactation specialists and health leaders committed to advancing evidence-informed, equity-focused maternal and infant health systems in Aotearoa.

About the speaker

Professor Diane L. Spatz is the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition and Professor of Perinatal Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Nurse Scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Over her career, Professor Spatz has served as principal or co-investigator on more than 50 research grants, including several from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She has published over 280 peer-reviewed articles and contributed extensively to key clinical guidelines and position statements for professional organisations, including Women’s Health Obstetric & Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN). Professor Spatz is the current treasurer for the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Breastfeeding. In June 2025, Professor Spatz received the AWHONN Lifetime Achievement Award. An internationally recognised leader in human milk and neonatal nutrition research, her work has transformed clinical practice globally and shaped evidence-based models of care for vulnerable infants.