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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, December 21st

Karen Shakerdge
/
WXXI

First hour: The resurgence of donor milk banks

Second hour: Environmental and climate issues under the Trump administration

Breast milk is considered the gold standard for protective nutrients fed to newborn babies, especially premature infants. But what if mothers aren't able to produce enough milk? The American Academy of Pediatrics, among other groups, recommends that underweight infants without access to their mothers' breast milk be given priority access to donor milk. Easier said than done: donor breast milk is expensive and rarely covered by insurance, especially in New York State. WXXI's Karen Shakerdge has produced a two-part report on issues surrounding donor breast milk. She'll join us on Connections to discuss the accessibility (or inaccessibility) of donor milk, a new milk bank in New York State, the health benefits of donor milk, and more. Our guests:

  • Karen Shakerdge, WXXI health reporter and producer
  • Dr. Jeffrey Meyers, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology, and associate medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unite at the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong
  • Dianne Cassidy, lactation consultant and child birth educator
  • Julie Bouchet-Horwitz, lactation consultant and executive director of the New York Milk Bank 

Then in our second hour, what might we expect regarding environmental and climate issues under the Trump administration? We'll discuss the President-elect's appointments for Secretary of State and head of the EPA, their views on climate science, and more. Our guests:

  • Lawrence Torcello, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at RIT
  • Karen Berger, lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester
Connections
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.