MCH - Maternal Child Health

Medical terminology is the language specific to the medical industry. This course focuses on the word construction and meaning that characterize medical language. 

This course covers essential elements of human anatomy and physiology, the relationship and function of anatomy and physiology, homeostasis and the role that each of the body systems plays in maintaining it, and the functions of cells and tissues in the body and integrates this knowledge with the field of Maternal Child Health.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course will explore folklore related to birth in social and cultural settings, as well as procedures surrounding childbirth in traditional and contemporary communities. The course requires students to think critically about other cultures and their own personal cultural values and practices through an ethnographic lens. In a global world, and throughout the mosaic of the United States, it is important to be able to understand other cultures.

This course is the foundation of the Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation major, focusing on the issues that contribute to the development of the competent lactation care provider. Students will investigate social, cultural, and ethical issues that contribute to infant and maternal health. This evidence-based course includes an integrated approach to breastfeeding and human lactation within the broader context of the health of women and children.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course examines the impact of nutrition on human health; the processes of digestion, absorption and metabolism; the nature and composition of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and micronutrients; the characteristics of a healthy diet and weight control. The student will also explore the role of nutrition in pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and the adult life cycle. Students will have the opportunity to assess their diet and activity.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course prepares Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation students for the clinical practice experiences (Internship or Practicum) required for successful completion of the MCH: Human Lactation degree. Students will explore health communication issues relevant to working in a clinical site, identify and secure clinical placement(s), and complete required preparation per placement site.

Evidence-based practice in health care is an emerging model for examining the validity of common practices in health care. This course uses a hierarchy of evidence to guide students in the first two terms in the research process on specific issues in maternal child health, and to integrate evidence into clinical practice. (Must be taken in the first or second term of enrollment.)

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course explores international public health perspectives and recommendations regarding the role of nutrition from preconception through pregnancy, the postpartum period, and early childhood. Students will also examine current nutrition trends affecting women and children.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course explores the clinical skills and strategies used to solve breastfeeding issues. Students examine and apply a problem-solving model to case studies involving complex issues by collecting history, describing assessment, distinguishing symptoms from problems, and proposing and evaluating solutions for identified problems.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

Through readings and critical examination, the student will explore social and cultural issues in health care related to disparities of care, ethics, systems of power, social justice and diversity in health care systems. Through analysis and self-reflection, students will consider ways providers can enhance community health through improved communication and relationships between themselves and families as they work in the field of Maternal Child Health.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course explores classic and current research surrounding the impact that conception, pregnancy, labor and childbirth may have on the development of the maternal child relationship. This course will explore the transformational aspects of birth as well as the consequences of pregnancy and birth events through theories of grief and loss including infertility, perinatal loss, childbirth interventions and unexpected birth outcomes.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course will address the characteristics, organizational skills and clinical skills necessary to open and successfully operate community-based support for maternal child health. Existing models will be presented and evaluated for their advantages, disadvantages, potential client populations and settings for women and young children. Students will examine legal and ethical issues, professional standards and practical skills that need to be considered for developing a community support system.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course is designed to meet the unique needs of the Professional Lactation Supporter as well as those intending to enter the field. Focusing on the policies, principles and practices that constitute the field of evidence-based breastfeeding and human lactation care, students will investigate and appraise historical and contemporary issues within the context of becoming a competent, self-reflective practitioner in a global, interdisciplinary community.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course describes the causes, consequences of and treatment options for postpartum mood disorders. It will describe the three-part stress response, and how maternal stress and inflammation increase the risk of depression and other mood disorders. In addition, a range of complementary and alternative treatments will be described and the impact of treatment on breastfeeding will be discussed.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This course examines the professional, academic, and social significance of Maternal Child Health: Human Consulting Lactation. The course has an applied component that is designed by the student in collaboration with the instructor. Application occurs in developing an educational product for expectant/breastfeeding families or the care providers serving childbearing families. Other coursework examines health care systems and social and ethical factors impacting the delivery of lactation care in the United States.

The growth and development of infants and children are explored in this course beginning with influences on healthy development in the prenatal phase, continuing through birth to adolescence. Normal stages are examined at each phase of the life cycle from conception to adolescence. Health promotion and cultural implications of health care during this span are emphasized.

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.

This internship provides the student with the opportunity to gain practical experience as a lactation professional. Students will complete and evaluate clinical hours in breastfeeding counseling of the mother-baby dyad, under the supervision of an on-site, experienced lactation professional, as well as an experienced academic lactation professional. Theoretical foundations and experiences are designed to develop lactation assessment, client management and documentation competencies. Experiences may include observation of counseling sessions, discussions with preceptor, supervised practice sessions, documentation of cases, and evaluation of achievement of mastery. This internship course is offered in two parts, each involving completion of 150 hours of direct breastfeeding education and counseling conducted by the student under the guidance of a board-certified (IBCLC) preceptor. 

This course provides the student with the opportunity to gain additional practical experience as a lactation professional. Students will complete clinical hours in breastfeeding counseling of the mother-baby dyad, under the supervision of an on-site, experienced lactation professional, and reflect upon the experience with an academic lactation professional. Theoretical foundations and experiences are designed to develop lactation assessment, client management and documentation competencies. Experiences may include observation of counseling sessions, discussions with preceptor, supervised practice sessions, documentation of cases, and evaluation of achievement of mastery.

This course explores the disparities of care that exist within health care. Students will examine economics, gender, education, sexual orientation, race, and abilities in relation to quality of medical care and access to medical care. Students will consider their own assumptions and biases and think critically about how assumptions impact care. Through interdisciplinary perspectives, the student will explore the structure and function of systems of power among individuals, communities, governmental and non-governmental organizations and international agencies relating to national and international health inequities. International issues of economics, emergencies, infectious disease and war will be discussed.

This course explores sociologic, cultural, political, and economic forces affecting the practice of maternal child health, focusing on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Focusing on social justice, the course includes national and international legislation, workplace accommodations, and economic, social and legal pressures. Through a biomedical ethics lens, students will examine their own personal place and responsibility in the global community. 

Students will engage in lab activities related to the didactic course.