A tribute to Miriam H. Labbok

Dr. Miriam Harriet Labbok (1949-2016)

On behalf of ABM founders and as their representative on the ABM Board of Governors, I wish to celebrate the life and vitality of Miriam Harriet Labbok, MD, MPH, IBCLC and a co-founder of the ABM. On August 13, 2016 she lost a sudden and rapid battle, all the while showing great tenacity, fortitude, and sense of humor. These inspiring traits are reflected in her 40 years of supporting the mother-infant dyad as an internationally respected and influential expert on breastfeeding and maternal and child health.

Miriam Labbok’s personality was reflective of her New Jersey roots: outspoken, forthright and passionate. Her academic training reflected her integrative strengths and passion for preventive healthcare with a worldwide vision. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received her M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from Tulane University. Her medical training continued in Occupational Health and Preventive Health. Her initial academic focus was on international application of contraception technology as a process to improve the health of women and their families. Her mentorship with John Queenan, MD, a distinguished Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University, rapidly clarified her life passion and focus on breastfeeding as the best primary preventive care intervention and the most important role in child spacing/contraception, especially in countries with fewer resources.

Miriam’s intellect, academic productivity (many chapters in textbooks on maternal and child health and an author of more than one hundred fifty scholarly articles), as well as, her persistent and firm advocacy for her beliefs, lead to her leadership positions supporting breastfeeding at UNICEF and USAID. Early in her career, she recognized the dangers and conflict of interest presented by makers of artificial milk, aka “formula”. One of her greatest successes was her role in galvanizing an international agreement for the Ten Steps to support breastfeeding and reduce the negative influences of the artificial milk manufacturers. Given her international successes and her outspoken beliefs, it is no surprise that Miriam was a co-Founder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. In her subsequent leadership roles in the ABM and its Board, she always reminded us of WHO Code violations and conflicts of interest and the need for the ABM to be an international organization that compliments and networks with other organizations with similar support for breastfeeding. Until her retirement this spring, Miriam was a Professor of Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and Director of the School’s Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute. These titles and positions reflect Miriam’s vision and successes in supporting the breastfeeding mother and her family regardless of geography, culture, religion, or available resources.

As ABM members, we need to emulate her willingness to confront international challenges, collaborate with other supporting organizations, and scrutinize our behaviors and connections for potential “WHO Code” violations. Miriam, thank you for helping us grow.

Edward Newton, MD

Ed Newton, MD, FABM is a maternal-fetal medicine sub specialist and a founder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

Posts on this blog reflect the opinions of individual ABM members, not the organization as a whole.

A tribute to Audrey Naylor

As the ABM Founders Representative to the ABM Board, I wish to reflect on the personal and professional impact of one of our ABM Founders, Audrey Naylor, DrPH, MPH, MD, who recently passed away (6/23/2016).  Her personality and actions provided an example for all of us to be successful contributors to lactation management and the future success of the ABM. Audrey, as early as the late ‘70’s, recognized the “cascade” effect of training and teaching the teachers, i.e. she was a cofounder and CEO of Wellstart International. An example of her success with Wellstart is the internet breastfeeding training modules which are free online at www.wellstart.org . She focused, as each of us must do now, on educating learners to pass their knowledge on to the next generation of providers. Her model for education recognized that optimal breastfeeding management requires a coordinated multidisciplinary team; physicians practicing alone cannot be successful. This passion was brought to focus in her role as an early and prominent proponent of the Baby Friendly initiative. Audrey believed passionately in the world community. Her voice and passion about breastfeeding has been heard and recognized at UNICEF and the WHO. As a Founder of the ABM, Audrey was a very active proponent for the ABM to be an international organization. While her advocacy has been largely successful, we must continue to act as an international organization and create better ways for us to utilize the unique strengths of every culture/country.

Lastly, Audrey Naylor had the courage, strength of personality, academic credibility, and national/international reputation to be a vocal and active “Champion” of breastfeeding on the national and international stage. While few of us will attain her stellar level of recognition and achievement, each member of the ABM needs to be a vocal and active “Champion” for breastfeeding within our smaller communities. We need to be agents for constructive and positive change, as Audrey always was.

Audrey, thank you for your example and your friendship. We will always remember your professional training and performances as “The Red Nosed Clown” at our annual meetings.

Edward Newton, MD

Ed Newton, MD, FABM is a maternal-fetal medicine sub specialist and a founder of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

Posts on this blog reflect the opinions of individual ABM members, not the organization as a whole.