The time from conception to a child’s second birthday is the most important 1,000 days of their life, as these initial months are vital developmental periods during which babies’ brains and bodies need the right fuel to grow.Providing infants with the best possible nutrition during these early days is important – whether parents choose to breastfeed, formula-feed or both.
RB, the parent company behind Enfamil® formula, has studied breast milk extensively to use its composition of nutrients as inspiration for Enfamil innovations, to best support infants’ growth and development. Dr. Christina Valentine, MD, MS, RD, FAAP, Medical Director of Reckitt Benckiser/Mead Johnson Nutrition, North America and Lucille Beseler, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE, Registered Dietician and President, Family Nutrition Center of South Florida, are available to discuss the ingredients and scientific innovation behind Enfamil, key points of differentiation within the product portfolio, as well as the importance of nutrition during a baby’s first 1,000 days.
Christina J. Valentine, MD, MS, RD, FAAP is a Physician- Scientist focused on maternal / infant diet strategies to attenuate inflammation and improve outcomes. She is currently the medical director for Reckitt Benckiser/Mead Johnson Nutrition, North America where she is involved with the research and development groups. She also co-leads The Global Human Milk Research Platform. Dr. Valentine is also an active neonatologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is an Associate Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC), where she is the Principal Investigator evaluating maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in early pregnancy to reduce early preterm birth, called TheADORE Trial–”Assessment of DHA on Reducing Early preterm birth,”(R01 HD083292).
Her academic and clinical training began with a MS in human nutrition and RD from the University of Florida. She received her medical degree, Pediatric internship and Residency from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. She completed her perinatal/ neonatal fellowship at The Ohio State University/Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is double boarded as a Neonatologist and Pediatrician. The aim of her research is to publish clinically translatable evidence in neonatal nutrition and human milk composition (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Valentine+CJ [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]).
She was the physician co-lead for Baby Friendly at UC (certified!) and is a member of the International Research in Human Milk and Lactation group. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a long-time member, previous board member, and current co-chair for the Neonatal Practice Section of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
Lucille Beseler, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE, is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, author, speaker and entrepreneur. She is president and owner of the Family Nutrition Center of South Florida (FNC), one of the first pediatric nutrition practices to offer insurance coverage for nutrition services.
Beseler also works as a nutrition and management consultant for various Fortune 500 corporations, non-profit organizations and specialized hospital programs. She is the author of the acclaimed book, Nurturing with Nutrition: everything you need to know about feeding infants and toddlers.
Beseler was the 91stPresident of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics representing 100,000 nutrition professionals. She has spent 23 years volunteering for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at the local, state and national level and was the Chairman of the Florida Dietetics Nutrition Practice council under the Board of Medicine for 9 years.
In 2017, Beseler was invited to speak at the International Day of Women and Girls in Science commemoration at the United Nations in New York as well as at NASDAQ.
Beseler serves on various scientific advisory boards and is part of the speaker’s bureau for Mead Johnson Nutrition. Beseler is a graduate of Queens College – City University of New York and earned a Master of Science degree from New York University.
