Jane A. Morton, MD

Video/DVD: A Preemie Needs His Mother (Span)

For over 20 years, until December 2002, Dr. Jane Morton practiced general pediatrics at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic (PAMC) in Palo Alto, California. She retired from her practice to join the faculty at Stanford University as the Director of Breastfeeding Medicine.

Dr. Morton received her BA from Stanford University and her MD from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her internship in pediatrics at UCSD and her residency at Stanford University Medical Center. She then joined the faculty at Stanford as the Assistant Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics until 1980 when she began the full-time practice of pediatrics at the PAMC. Dr. Morton continued her academic affiliation with Stanford and became a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in 1988.

Breastfeeding became an interest of hers during her residency when she became a mother herself.  The "acid test", however, came when she went into private practice attracting a population of patients who were highly motivated to breastfeed. She became alarmed by the number of mothers with breastfeeding problems at the traditional two-week first visit. To better understand the causes of such problems as insufficient milk production, she undertook a number of clinical research projects, published and developed educational materials for professionals as well as patients.

She credits her patients and the support of her colleagues in general pediatrics for enabling and sustaining her interest and research in breastfeeding. Published in Pediatrics, one study evaluated the clinical usefulness of breastmilk sodium as a biomarker for lactogenesis and demonstrated the importance of early and effective nursing on milk production.  She produced two videos, the first (Breastfeeding, A Guide to Getting Started) focuses on the early management of breastfeeding the term infant. The second, a two-part video released last March, (A Premie Needs His Mother, First Steps to Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby) won a 2002 Chris Award at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival as well as the international 2002 Communicator Award of Excellence. Part I details the benefits of breastmilk for the premature and how to maximize pump-dependent lactation. Part II demonstrates how to transition the infant to feeding at the breast and how to manage breastfeeding once the infant comes home. Both videos have been educational for both patients and professionals and are available in English and Spanish.

At a national level, she is an executive member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Breastfeeding, and a member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. She is an author of the nutritional toolkit for the California Perinatal Quality of Care Consortium.

The Breastfeeding Medicine Program at Stanford is being developed to support and promote research, education, and clinical care for breastfeeding and lactation.