HMO Update: Clinical Evidence and Clinical Practice

Program Date: 6 May 2021

Publication Date: 22 July 2021

Continuing Education Units: Nurse Contact: 1.0; Dietitian CPEU: 1.0

Course Description:

In this course, you’ll define human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs); summarize the potential direct and indirect effects of HMOs in infants; and review the current evidence for the role of HMOs in clinical practice. Originally presented as a live webinar on May 6, 2021.

Course Objectives:

• Define human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs).
• Summarize the potential direct and indirect effects of HMOs in infants.
• Review the current evidence for the role of HMOs in clinical practice.

CDR Level: 2
Performance Indicators: 4.1.2, 4.2.7, 8.1.4, 8.3.5
Run Time: 50

Course Instructor Bio(s)

John T. Stutts, MD, MPH

Associate Director, Residency Education and Medical Director/Clinical Lead
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
University of Louisville School of Medicine
Louisville, KY, USA

Dr John Stutts is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Purdue University. He then received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Louisville. He completed his Pediatric Residency, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship and Master of Public Health from Vanderbilt University. He is currently practicing Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in Louisville. He has been a part of many clinical trials in his tenure including many studies with the Norton Children’s Medical Pediatric Clinical Research Unit. He is a past member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Professional Education Committee, and he is a current member of the Public Education Committee for the same society.

Rebecca Heller, PhD, RD

Medical Science Liaison
Scientific and Medical Affairs
Abbott Nutrition
Columbus, OH, USA

Rebecca Heller is a Medical Science Liaison at Abbott Nutrition. She is a part of Scientific and Medical Affairs specializing in Pediatric Nutrition. Dr Heller works as a field-based scientist to support the research objectives in Pediatric Nutrition, provide education to healthcare professionals, and assist in identifying and developing relationships with key opinion leaders.

Dr Heller received her BS in Nutritional Sciences, Dietetics, at Rutgers University where she conducted research on food marketing effects on children’s food perceptions. She completed her dietetic internship at New York Presbyterian Hospital with clinical staff relief experience at Weill Cornell Medical, Columbia Medical, and Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital sites. She also obtained her Master of Science and PhD from the University of Connecticut in Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Statistics. Her research focused on optimal feeding practices during birth to 2 years for improving health outcomes in children.

Dr Heller has worked as a Clinical Dietitian specializing in Critical Care at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in New Jersey. She has also worked as a Research Manager at Rutgers University managing a multi-state research intervention to improve nutrition and physical activity behaviors in preschool aged children; Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut leading research teams in applied nutrition studies to optimize feeding practices for birth to 2 years and preschool aged children; and Research Associate at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity conducting research on nutritional indices and health claims for infant and toddler formula and foods, and children’s snack foods.