This is a blog designed to provide general information to professionals interested in SOFFI® and feeding information, such as newly released technology, evidence, or “in the news” information.
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Just getting ready for a Facebook Live.Today I am talking about reflection – as it is the New Year. Many of us reflect on the…
Just finished a fabulous training webinar on tethered oral tissues. This is a wonderful summary of the literature to date, that I got from the…
Happy end of year! There are so many special holidays during this time. We here at Feeding Fundamentals wish you and your loved ones a…
As the Breast is Best series ends, I wanted to reflect on the feedback we have received. While at a meeting in France last week,…
And welcome back to our final question of this really fun series! I hope that you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. TRUE…
Welcome back for week twenty four of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we…
Welcome back for week twenty three of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we…
Welcome back for week twenty two of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we…
Welcome back for week twenty one of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we…
Beginning September with week twenty of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we will…
Hello and welcome back to week nineteen of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Hello and welcome back to week eighteen of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Hello and welcome back to week seventeen of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Hello and welcome back to week sixteen of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
We are here for week fifteen of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
We are here for week fourteen of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
We are back for week thirteen of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Here we are again for week twelve of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
We welcome July with week eleven of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we…
We are so pleased to be back with week ten of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we…
Welcome back for week NINE of our Breast is Best series! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we will…
We hope you’re having a fabulous day! Gina, Jo, and I here at Feeding Fundamentals are having a lot of fun with this series –…
I recently had the pleasure of working with Nestle and writing this article. Click her to read the full article! To access this post, you…
We are back for week seven of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
We are back for week six of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Can you believe we are already in week five?! True OR False: If a mom has pain with breastfeeding, it means the baby has a…
Here we are in week four of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Here we are in week three of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Here we are in week two of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID,…
Welcome to week one of our Breast is Best True/False Quiz! Similar to the FUN Facts and Fiction series we created during COVID, we will…
Rather than just doing something so that we feel like we maybe are going to make things better, we need to take that step back…
What a great conference! I just returned from the 2024 Graven’s conference! It was inspiring, informative, motivational, and so much fun! This is my favorite…
After a long absence with trainings in Greece and Qater, I have returned to really begin 2024. And this has prompted me to think about…
Greetings from our SOFFI® Family and Feeding FUNdamentals! As we reflect upon 2023 all of us here at Feeding FUNdamentals are grateful for an incredible (although very fast)…
I received this question on our member’s only Facebook group, SOFFI Community. If you haven’t joined, and you have completed any form of SOFFI (online,…
I encourage you to read this publication. It can open up a great discussion about the language you use when referring to caregivers. Rethinking Pediatric…
I am teaching here in Australia and just got asked a question. Do I ever use vibrating toys, oral-motor tools, or oral programs to wake…
What a joyful time we have had prior to starting teaching here in Adelaide! Thank you to Let’s Grow Together, Lauren and her team! And…
I often hear one of the things people like is for me to show how I look at studies, and explaining how to read them…
I’m taking a moment to thank everyone for spreading the word about SOFFI®. I am halfway through SOFFI® Virtual October 2023 and it is the…
The summer has ended and Fall has arrived. We saw our first snow! But this weekend gave us two gorgeous Colorado days. We did get…
By Dr. Erin – I just wanted to share a thought that’s been puzzling around in my head. I have been going around the world,…
I hope you are enjoying your summer – and are keeping cool! Here in Colorado we started off wet and rainy, but the last few…
I have been attending a variety of conferences over the last month or so, and loving what I am seeing! In March I attended the…
What a great time I just had this weekend in Phoenix! From arriving at the rental car place and finding out the boring 4 door…
As we say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023… a thought for you! We are taking some time to be with family, to refresh,…
We are ending 2022, and readying for 2023…. “You can’t make footprints in the sands of time if you’re sitting on your butt. And who…
I truly do have an amazing life! Hello from Brisbane, “Down Under” in Australia, otherwise known as “OZ”. The view this first morning of a…
Recently, I had someone ask, during a Q&A, about a little one they are working with. The little one had a swallow study, and mother…
I am currently reviewing an article about home discharge with NG-Tubes. We still do not do this in my hospital. Do you? Regardless of your…
Written by Josephine on behalf of Dr. Erin – As we emerge from the cloud of the last two years…we are starting to travel again.…
We are officially on the road again! Teaching with my good friend Kay Toomey in Denmark. But I also wanted to let you all know…
We are so proud to present Josephine Wallace, our CE Coordinator, new mom and chocolate enthusiast! Josephine will be sharing her new baby experiences, new…
According to new sources, the FDA is working with manufacturers to address a baby formula shortage. Out-of-stock rate of baby formulas is now at around…
Come join me, and some fabulous speakers for a working conference. More to come soon! To access this post, you must purchase SOFFI® Community Membership…
Hello SOFFI Community! Wow – 2022 has begun with a bang! I am in Istanbul, Turkey right now, with my good friend Kay Toomey. We…
Have you heard the news? Pediatric Feeding Disorder has become a stand-alone diagnostic code in the newest ICD-10 revision. Wahoo! Thanks to the mighty efforts…
I am in the beginning of updating SOFFI® which is a long process. A really, really long process. And in doing so, I keep coming…
Ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) is a common reason babies don’t take a bottle well. FALSE False. False. False. Argh. Tongue-tie does NOT affect bottle feeding. It MAY…
Pacifier use in the NICU is recommended and does not make it harder to establish breast feeding; in fact, it may actually help a preterm…
Hello everyone! How is your summer going? Mine is CRAZY busy! It seems as though all of 2020 is trying to catch up. The world…
Infant eating skills transition from reflexive (automatic) to voluntary at around 2 months post-term, and so babies who are eating at the time they go…
Babies can bottle-feed sooner than breastfeed and go home sooner. FALSE This is not true. In studies where moms are available all the time, we…
Wow – I don’t know about you but I feel the pandemic put the world on hold, and now the world is playing catch-up. I…
The majority of babies who have swallowing problems will cough/choke or drop their saturations when eating. FALSE This is not true. The vast majority…
Low appetite, feeding refusals and increased parental stress are common feeding outcomes for preterm babies. TRUE This is true – for all preterm infants. It…
Unswaddling a baby in the NICU who is bottle feeding and sleepy helps them wake up and eat better. FALSE There is no study that…
Side-lying feeding helps a baby spit out fluid if it is coming too fast. FALSE OK, I admit – this is a trick question. Side-lying…
Hello everyone – back from a short mini-vacation and enjoying some time dedicated to creating new content. Our SOFFI ® Update session is scheduled for…
Risk of post-discharge hospitalizations, specialty doctor visits, and therapy visits in the first 2 years of life is lower for ELBW babies who receive more…
If a mom wants to breast feed and NOT bottle feed it will take her baby longer to reach full oral feedings than if she…
Dear SOFFI Community, I am so happy to tell you about a new venture of my good friend Marsha Dunn-Klein, OTR. Many of you know…
Hello again – twice in one day! I do like to highlight these citations and so I separated this blog. But please look at my…
Greetings from Longmont Colorado! We have gotten through the snow (I hope)…. Today is a lovely day of soft rain. The flowers are loving this!…
Pre- and post-test weights in the hospital NICU make mother’s anxious, and they will be less likely to want to breastfeed in the NICU and…
Feeding on NCPAP is just as safe as feeding on a cannula. FALSE This is not true. We have a small but well controlled…
Hey everyone – we are about half-way through the FUN Feeding Facts and Fiction quiz! I hope you are having fun – I love that…
All babies should be given 30 minutes to eat. FALSE Did you know there is NO study that shows 30 minutes is the…
The average gestational age of full oral feedings for infants who are healthy is 36 ½ weeks. TRUE Boy I sure wish I could…
Letting a baby breast feed as their first feeding experience improves the chances the mother will continue pumping and providing human milk. TRUE This is…
Spring came roaring into Colorado! I spent two days shoveling myself out. But oh so much fun to play in the snow…my dog Miss O…
Hello my friends! I am so excited to share this registration link for one of the best multidisciplinary conferences on feeding. You may recall, I…
Skin-to-skin holding improves human milk production and helps with breast feeding: TRUE This is absolutely true! In fact, moms who pump typically get more…
Bottle feeding causes nipple confusion: FALSE There are no studies that show bottle feeding causes nipple confusion. In fact, I don’t think the babies…
Pharyngeal pressures during a swallow are lower in infants younger than 35-36 weeks’ gestation, which can increase risk of aspiration. TRUE This is true! Remember…
Hi everyone! I am writing a quickie this time. I was doing a SOFFI® Question and Answer zoom this morning and once again was talking…
Hello all – I don’t know about you, but all of a sudden my life is getting busy! Seems COVID has become part of our…
If a baby is eating only partial feedings, they should be given rests and gavaged, even if they are showing cues: FALSE This…
Breast feeding takes more energy than bottle feeding – babies get more tired. FALSE This is not true. A study of energy expenditure during feeding…
Babies who eat with a slowed flow bottle nipple take longer to eat than when they are given a faster flow. FALSE This is not…
Wow – there were several great articles to choose from in this batch. But given how many questions I get about using thickeners… I had…
Starting oral feedings earlier will help babies reach full oral feedings sooner. FALSE This is not true. Feeding development is mostly driven by maturation. In…
Side-lying is always best because preterm infants are always more stable in side-lying. FALSE This is actually not true. Side-lying may indeed help infants be…
Human touch while being gavaged accelerates/improves oral feeding in preterm infants. TRUE I think we all agree that human touch is critical for us all…
We are rolling out a fun activity called FUN Feeding Facts and Fiction. Every week for the next 20 weeks we will provide an answer…
Favorite citation of the newest ones in 2021… Pados, B. F. and J. T. Yamasaki (2020). “Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Healthy, Full-Term Infants Younger…
WOW – there were several articles published already looking at various issues related to COVID-19. Some on breastfeeding challenges, some on human milk and COVID-19…
Announcing the launch of my good friend Aniesa Blore’s new book! Check it out! Today is the launch on Kindle – you can purchase it…
Well – this should not be a surprise…. an article on thickened fluid and the challenges of getting it to flow through seven different levels…
Happy Thanksgiving Eve from me and my family to yours! We can all stand to take a day and give thanks. Thanks for each other.…
Edmonds, C. E., et al. (2020). “Preterm Birth Impacts the Timing and Excursion of Oropharyngeal Structures during Infant Feeding.” Integr Org Biol 2(1): obaa028. Swallowing…
I am so luck to live in Colorado – where the mountains are incredible. But this Fall I went into Montana and Wyoming…
Marín Gabriel MA, Reyne Vergeli M, Caserío Carbonero S, Sole L, Carrizosa Molina T, Rivero Calle I, Cuadrado Pérez I, Álvarez Fernández B, Forti Buratti…
There were many new articles of interest that I found this round. But this seems the most relevant to most people. I know in my…
Pados, B. F., et al. (2020). “Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool-Mixed Breastfeeding and Bottle-feeding: Reference values and factors associated with problematic feeding symptoms in healthy, full-term…
Hello everyone! I checked and no new citations for this week. Is everyone on vacation? I can’t believe we are in August already! People are…
Hill, R. R. and B. F. Pados (2020). “Symptoms of problematic feeding in infants under 1 year of age undergoing frenotomy: A review article.” Acta…
Happy 4th of July! I hope this finds you well wherever you are in the world. I am missing my travels… and my international friends!…
Here is my pick for this 2-weeks’ citation. I think it is interesting because it puts “nipple confusion” into a normal situation. Interesting findings I…
On a personal note…. I have finished SOFFI® 2-day online webinar series! I am working with my webmaster to finish building the pages for the…
Here is my favorite citation for the last 2 weeks – and I am changing my plan to post only every 2 weeks. If I…
I missed a week! Seems the NICUs have been really busy and so have I. I just completely missed a week – so here are…
Two great articles this week – so difficult to choose. But here is my favorite this last week. Enjoy!! Mayerl, C. J., et al. (2020).…
Well, another week and here we are. Watching the news is depressing… so I am continuing to work on webinars and skirting the newest publications. …
Well, another week…. Another week at home. Mostly…. Miss Olive (my pup) and I have been having fun in the Spring snows we have gotten…
Hello everyone, and welcome to yet another week in “COVID19 Territory”. Another week in isolation/quarantine. To spice things up, I am going to be sharing…
We are in a brand new world! I don’t know about you, but my entire life has changed. I have been shifting between terrified and…
Well, we are living in a new world! I imagine all of you are in some form of quarantine – if you are not at…
Hello from Longmont! I am stuck at home in quarantine – after traveling a lot and then returning home I got a respiratory illness. Unfortunately,…
SOFFITM New Zealand was a blast! 26 people in all attended – from both New Zealand and Australia. Once again, I am amazed at how…
2020 is shaping up to be another busy year! So far, we have completed the trip to Jakarta, Indonesia in January, as well as one…
Happy 2020! Well, 2019 was quite a busy year. We have presented on infant feeding and SOFFITM in Vienna, Austria, at the University of Chile,…
Just ran across an article from Brazil from March 2019. It is in the Open Access journal, International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology. Dr. Ana Maria Hernandez…
Chicago and the team at Lurie Children’s Hospital are amazing. I was honored to be a keynote speaker at their 4th Annual Developmental Care conference.…
Well, I just returned from Hyderabad India where a lovely Speech Therapist, Amulya Reddy, hosted SOFFITM. One of my favorite things to do is to…
Seriously, did you know that a recent study showed marked increase in frenotomy? (Kapoor, V., Douglas, P. S., Hill, P. S., Walsh, L. J., &…
Thank you everyone for being so patient with us. As you can tell, I (Erin Ross) am not a techy. But I am learning and…
Welcome to our new look! We are so excited to roll out our new website and our newest attempt at meeting your requests for continued…
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Continuing Education
ASHA
ASHA: This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional content area). This course will focus on the SOFFI® Method and will not discuss other similar or related treatments. This course is not offered for partial credit. Each agenda item must be completed and quiz passed before you may move to the next section of the course. Completion of all 12 sections and quizzes passed is needed to award ASHA CEU’s. ASHA MEMBERS: You MUST provide your ASHA number at the time you register, and complete all of the quizzes within the stated timeframe to receive your CEUs. Members who do not provide their ASHA number at the time of registration will not be sent to ASHA for CEU credit.
AOTA: Feeding Fundamentals, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 03389 This Distance Learning – Independent event is offered at 1.3 CEUs, Intermediate, Foundational Knowledge/Occupational Therapy Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA or indicate AOTA approval of a certification or other professional recognition.
ASHA: This course is offered for 1.55 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional content area). This course will focus on the SOFFI® Method and will not discuss other similar or related treatments. This course is not offered for partial credit. Full attendance and passed grade on quiz is needed to award ASHA CEU’s
AOTA: Feeding Fundamentals, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 03389 This Distance Learning – Interactive event is offered at 1.3 CEUs, Intermediate, Foundational Knowledge/Occupational Therapy Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA or indicate AOTA approval of a certification or other professional recognition.
While the content is the same for each of these offerings, the virtual live course offers a chance for interaction and questions/answers. It therefore is scheduled as such.
ASHA: This course is offered for .15 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional content area). This course will focus on the SOFFI® Method and will not discuss other similar or related treatments. This course is not offered for partial credit. Full attendance and attestation that the entire webinar was viewed is needed to award ASHA CEU’s. ASHA MEMBERS: You MUST provide your ASHA number at the time you register, and complete all of the quizzes within the stated timeframe to receive your CEUs. Members who do not provide their ASHA number at the time of registration will not be sent to ASHA for CEU credit.
AOTA: Feeding Fundamentals, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 03913 This Distance Learning – Independent event is offered at 0.2 CEUs, Intermediate, Foundational Knowledge/Occupational Therapy Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
ASHA: Start date April 5, 2022. This course is offered for 0.3 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional content area). This course will focus on RINGGCAST and the SOFFI® Method and will not discuss other similar or related treatments. This course is not offered for partial credit.
AOTA: Feeding Fundamentals, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 03409. This Distance Learning – Independent event is offered at 0.3 CEUs, Intermediate, Foundational Knowledge/Occupational Therapy Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
ASHA: Start date April 5, 2022. This course is offered for 0.2 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional content area). This course is not offered for partial credit.
AOTA: Feeding Fundamentals, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 4067. This Distance Learning – Independent event is offered at 0.2 CEUs, Intermediate, Occupational Therapy Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Dr. Erin Sundseth Ross is a Speech Pathologist with a Doctoral degree in Clinical Sciences – Health Services Research. She completed a two-year post-doctoral training in the Section of Nutrition and is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Colorado Denver. She is also on faculty at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Ross has over 30 years of experience working in the NICU within several HealthONE hospitals, and with older children when she was at the SOS Feeding Solutions clinic in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Ross is the creator of SOFFI®, a feeding program for use in the NICU. She has specialized in the development of feeding skills, and the etiology and treatment of feeding and growth problems in infants and very young children from initial hospitalization through the first 5 years of life.
Statement of Financial Disclosures for Speaker: Dr. Erin Ross is a paid consultant for Nestec Ltd and Intertek, and is a paid speaker for Toomey and Associates. She owns intellectual property as the principal owner of Feeding Fundamentals, LLC., and created and receives a salary as compensation for SOFFI® and all other live and recorded trainings.
Statement of Non-financial Disclosure for Speaker: Dr. Ross is the Chair of the Advocacy Pillar of Feeding Matters, which is a voluntary position.
Attendance & Policies
In order to achieve the intended Learning Outcomes and to satisfy the completion requirements for the conference and Continuing Education Units, learners are expected to attend the live conference or view the entire online workshop. Not attending/viewing the workshop in its entirety will cause the learner to miss crucial information needed to be able to correctly use the specific topic area. Upon completion of the course/online workshop, and evaluation and a test will be assigned that covers the information taught within the course/online workshop. The attendee will be asked to verify they are the same person who attended and who is taking the test. ASHA Members must provide their ASHA number at the time of registration. Failing to provide the ASHA number will result in no CEUs provided as we will not know you are an ASHA member and we need to fulfill our obligations for timely reporting.
Complaint Policy & Procedures
Feeding Fundamentals, LLC views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve future programs and resources, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organization that has made the complaint. Please read the full Complaint Policy and Resolution Procedures
Feeding Fundamentals, LLC and Toomey & Associates, Inc, complies with ADA provisions. Every effort will be made to accommodate requests. If you require special accommodations or need assistance, please contact Gina Gass at [email protected]. We request that requests be made at least two weeks in advance of any live conference.
Cancellation of Registration by Registrant – Policy
Cancellations are accepted minus an administrative fee of $25.00 up until two weeks prior to the offering. After that time, cancellations will not be accepted but the participant may join a different virtual event offered within 6 months of the original course offering without penalty. Virtual courses are offered at least every 2 months. Participants must attend an event within the 6 months of the original course offering or forfeit their registration.
AGENDA All times listed are Mountain Time in the US (GMT-7).
(N/A for webinars) Cancellation of live and live-streamed events by Speaker
If the conference is cancelled by speaker due to, but not limited to, the following:
• Speaker cancellation
• Limited enrollment
Registrants will receive a full refund of their registration fee within 30 days of the originally scheduled conference by the method that the registrant used to pay for the registration. (If payment was received by credit/debit card, the refund will be refunded to the original credit/debit card used, if payment was received via a check, a refund will be provided by check.)
All sales are final for online video offerings.
say that we report to ASHA monthly and that their certificate will be emailed.
Cancellation of Registration by Registrant – Policy
All Sales are Final
(N/A for webinars) Cancellation of live and live-streamed events by Speaker
If the conference is cancelled by speaker due to, but not limited to, the following:
• Speaker cancellation
• Limited enrollment
Registrants will receive a full refund of their registration fee within 30 days of the originally scheduled conference by the method that the registrant used to pay for the registration. (If payment was received by credit/debit card, the refund will be refunded to the original credit/debit card used, if payment was received via a check, a refund will be provided by check.)
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