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Dr Lisa Amir
MBBS (Monash), MMed (Melb), PhD (La Trobe), IBCLC
NHMRC Health Professional Research Fellow
 
Email: l.amir@latrobe.edu.au
Telephone: 03 8341 8577
 

Lisa Amir is a medical practitioner with a long-standing interest in women's health. Having qualified as a lactation consultant in 1989, Lisa continues to work in this area at the Royal Women's Hospital and as a private practitioner at Medical One at QV in the city. She is conducting research in the area of breastfeeding – from rates and determinants of breastfeeding, to nipple and breast pain in breastfeeding women, to GPs’ knowledge and attitudes towards the use of medicines for breastfeeding women. Lisa is Editor-in-Chief of a new online journal, International Breastfeeding Journal . Website: www.internationalbreastfeedingjournal.com
 
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS

Breastfeeding, women’s health
 
CURRENT PROJECTS
 
Prevalence and prevention of mastitis in lactating women
Team: Lisa Amir, Judith Lumley, Suzanne Garland
Funding: NHMRC Public Health PhD Scholarship; Medical Research Foundation for Women and Babies
Status: Publications accepted - see below*
 
CASTLE Study: The role of micro-organisms ( S. aureus & C. albicans ) in the pathogenesis of breast pain and infection in lactating women
Team: Lisa Amir, Suzanne Garland, Susan Donath, Sepehr Tabrizi, Catherine Bennett, Méabh Cullinane (project co-ordinator)
Funding: NHMRC Project Grant (2009-2010) 
Status: Ethics approval obtained from La Trobe University, Royal Women's Hospital and Frances Perry House. Recruitment commencing in October 2009.
 
Medications and breastfeeding women: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of GPs
Team: Lisa Amir, Marie Pirotta, Molika In, Jeanne Daly
Funding: Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grant
Status: Postal survey of GPs and in-depth interviews conducted 2007/2008. Publications in progress.
 
Women's' attitudes and experiences of breastfeeding – does maternal weight make a difference?
Team: Lisa Amir, Della Forster, Kate Stern, Joanne Rayner and Karalyn McDonald.
Funding: La Trobe Research Grants Scheme
Status:

Focus groups and in-depth interviews in progress
 
Women’s experience of breastfeeding, expressing and using breast pumps
Team: Sarah Clemons, Lisa Amir
Funding: Nil
Status:

Online survey completed, publication in progress.
 

MILC: Mothers and Infants Lactation Cohort study
Team:

Della Forster, Lisa Amir, Helen McLachlan, Anita Moorhead, Helene Johns, Kerri McEgan, Chris Scott, Rachael Ford, Kinga Pemo

Funding: Application pending
Status:

Ethics approval obtained. Recruitment commenced at Royal Women's Hospital, Mercy Hospitasl for Women and Frances Perry House.

 

DIABETES & ANTENATAL MILK EXPRESSING (DAME): A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Team:

Della Forster, Kerri McEgan, Susan Walker, Lisa Amir, Susan Jacobs, Gillian Opie, Cath McNamara, Rachael Ford, Susan McDonald
Funding: Application pending
Status:

Protocol developed, seeking funding and ethics approval
 
PUBLICATIONS (Selected)

 

Hobbs M, Taft A, Amir LH. The emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) rescheduled: a focus group study of women's knowledge, attitudes and experiences. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2009; 35(2): 87-91.

Amir LH, Pirotta M. Medicines for breastfeeding women: a postal survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners in Victoria, Australia (Letter). Med J Aust 2009 (in press).

Amir LH, Donath SM. Socioeconomic status and rates of breastfeeding in Australia: evidence from the 1995, 2001 and 2004/5 National Health Surveys. Med J Aust, 2008;189(5):254-56.

Donath SM, Amir LH. Maternal obesity and initiation and duration of breastfeeding: data from the longitudinal study of Australian children. Matern Child Nutr 2008;4(3):163-70.

Cooklin AR, Donath SM, Amir LH. Maternal employment and breastfeeding: results from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Acta Paediatr, 2008;97(5):620-23.

Donath SM, Amir LH. The effect of gestation on initiation and duration of breastfeeding. Arch Dis Child 2008; 93(6):F448-50.

Chin LY, Amir LH. Survey of patient satisfaction with the Breastfeeding Education and Support Services of The Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. BMC Health Serv Res, 2008;8:83.

Amir LH, The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol Committee. ABM clinical protocol #4: Mastitis. Revision, May 2008. Breastfeed Med, 2008;3(3):177-80.

Panjaitan M, Amir LH, Costa A-M, Rudland E, Tabrizi S. PCR in detection of Candida albicans for confirmation of clinical diagnosis of nipple thrush (Letter). Breastfeed Med, 2008;3(3):185-87.

Amir LH, Forster DA, Lumley J, McLachlan H. A descriptive study of mastitis in Australian breastfeeding women: incidence and determinants BMC Public Health 2007; 7:62.*

Amir LH. Medicines and breastfeeding: information is available on safe use (Letter). Med J Aust, 2007; 186(9):485. (Correction published 2007, 186 (11): 606).

Amir LH, Donath S. A systematic review of maternal obesity and breastfeeding intention, initiation and duration. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2007;7:9.

Amir LH, Lumley J. Women’s experience of lactational mastitis – ‘I have never felt worse’. Aust Fam Physician, 2006;35(9):745-47.*

Amir LH. Breastfeeding:managing ‘supply’ issues. Aust Fam Physician 2006;35(9):686-89.

Amir LH, Garland SM, Lumley J. A case-control study of mastitis: nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus. BMC Fam Pract, 2006;7:57.*

Amir LH, James JP, Donath SM. Reliability of the Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function. Int Breastfeed J, 2006;1:3.

Syahlul, DE, Amir LH. Emergency contraception: knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical practitioners in Indonesia. BMC Women’s Health, 2005;5:3.

Amir LH, Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J. Incidence of breast abscess in lactating women: Report from an Australian cohort. BJOG, 2004;111(12):1378-81.*

Donath SM, Amir LH, ALSPAC Study Team. The relationship between maternal smoking and breastfeeding duration after adjustment for maternal infant feeding intention. Acta Paediatr, 2004;93(11):1514-18.

Amir LH, Lumley J, Garland S. A failed RCT to determine if antibiotics prevent mastitis: Cracked nipples colonized with Staphylococcus aureus: A randomized treatment trial [ISRCTN65289389]. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2004;4:19.*

Amir LH. Breast pain in lactating women – mastitis or something else? Aust Fam Physician, 2003;32(3):141-45. (Invited article)*

Editorials

Amir LH, Ingram J. Health professionals' advice for breastfeeding problems: Not good enough! Int Breastfeed J, 2008;3:22 (Editorial).

Beasley A, AMIR LH. Infant feeding, poverty and human development. Int Breastfeed J, 2007;2:14 (Editorial).

Beasley A, AMIR LH. Policy on infant formula industry funding, support or sponsorship of articles submitted for publication. Int Breastfeed J, 2007;2:5 (Editorial).

Amir LH. International Breastfeeding Journal: Introducing a new journal. Int Breastfeed J 2006;1:1 (Editorial).

Book sections and other publications

Jayawickrama H, Amir L, Moorhead A. Bacteria in powdered infant formula: New guidelines for preparation and use to reduce risk of infection. Hot Topic, Lactation Resource Centre, 2009.

Amir L. Lactation and feeding, and Breastfeeding difficulties. In: Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health. O’Connor V, Kovacs G, (eds). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003: 302-305, 379-381.
Amir LH, Clements F, Walsh A. Breastfeeding. Check program, September 2007.
 
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Content Approved by: Director, Mother and Child Health Research
Page maintained by: Administrator
Last Updated: 26 August 2007