Speakers - First Central European Babywearing Conference

Snježana Gverić-Ahmetašević, MD, PhD, specialist in paediatrics, subspecialist in neonatology

After graduating from the University of Zagreb Medical School, Snježana Gverić-Ahmetašević completed her residency in paediatrics at the Zagreb Clinical Hospital. She continued to complete her subspecialist studies in neonatology afterwards.

Snježana was head of the NICU at the Zagreb Clinical Hospital (Petrova) until 2016, at which point she became Head of the Neonatology Department. She currently works as the Head of the Neonatology Department of the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Ward of the Sestre milosrdnice Clinical Hospital in Zagreb. She is Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Dubrovnik International University. Snježana lectures in Croatia and abroad regularly and has written numerous scientific and professional articles.

Dr. Henrik Norholt, Ph.D.

Dr. Henrik Norholt is a member of The World Association of Infant Mental Health. He holds a Ph.D. from the LIFE faculty of Copenhagen University and is a resident of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has been studying the effects of baby carrying as it relates to child psychological and motor development through naturalistic studies since 2001.

Dr. Norholt's primary research focus is the effects of extended parent-infant contact. He is engaged in developing research into novel parent-infant interventions through his international network of researchers and clinicians within psychology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, obstetrics, breastfeeding medicine, health visiting and midwifery. Outcomes for the research include attachment and long-term parental and child physiological and psychological health. The research spans a wide range of scientific topics, including amongst others child and adult brain and hormonal adaptation, attachment theory, perinatal stress and resilience processes, child socio-emotional regulation and paediatric orthopaedics.

He is a frequent lecturer and external academic thesis supervisor at various early years practitioners' universities, colleges, association meetings and international conferences. He is a member of The World Association of Infant Mental Health, The Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health and The Society of Emotion and Attachment Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Science at Copenhagen University.

Urška Podvršič, psychologist (M. Psych.), Die Trageschule Network Leader for Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Urška Podvršič is a psychologist who manages the Die Trageschule Consultant Network for Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Urška has trained numerous babywearing consultants including both initial and advanced training sessions within the Trageschule Network. As part of her educational and consulting work she has held numerous babywearing workshops for parents, held lectures at professional symposia including those of developmental paediatricians, midwives, nurses and obstetricians. As an external associate she has conducted babywearing workshops for midwifery students at Ljubljana University.

For more than 5 years, Urška worked as a psychologist in a preventive program for children and teenagers in Ljubljana providing counselling and support to children and teenagers with emotional difficulties and problematic behaviour, collaborating with parents and relevant institutions.

Željka Skukan Šoštarić, Bachelors of Nursing, IBCLC, community health nurse

Željka Skukan Šoštarić is a community health nurse at the West Zagreb Health Centre. Her professional interest is in breastfeeding, especially in providing support and information to mothers. She has been a volunteer on Roda's Breastfeeding Helpline, and provided support at the beginning of UNICEF Croatia's Telefončić (Little Telephone) program, as well as providing breastfeeding training for consultants working on the Telefončić Line.

Željka has lectured on breastfeeding at numerous healthcare professionals' courses and symposia including the Symposium of the Croatian IBCLC Consultant Association, Roda's Milk Conference and during continuing education for nurses at the West Zagreb Health Centre.
She is a member of the City of Zagreb's Coordination Committee for the City of Zagreb – Breastfeeding Friendly Program, the International Board Certified Lactation Consultants' (IBCLC) Association, the Croatian IBCLC Consultant's Association, the Croatian Association of Breastfeeding Support Groups and Roda – Parents in Action.

Dr. Milan Stanojević, MD, Ph.D., specialist in paediatrics, subspecialist in neonatology

Milan Stanojević has been Head of the Neonatology Department at Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital since 2007. He is a lecturer at undergraduate and post-graduate programs at the University of Zagreb Medical School. Milan currently serves as the President of the World Association of Perinatal Medicine (WAPM). He is a member of the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine (IAPM), and in 2011 was awarded with the William Liley Award of the Fetus as a Patient Society and in 2008 was given Ladislav Rakovac Award by the Croatian Medical Association.

Milan has published over 250 scientific papers, has collaborated on numerous books and is on the editorial board of two professional journals. He is the Head of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Training Program with UNICEF Croatia. He has been an active participant of the BFHI Program for the past twenty years. 

Josip Vlaić, MD, specialist in pediatric orthopedics

Josip Vlaić is a surgeon and specialist in paediatric orthopaedics at the Zagreb Children's Hospital (Klaićeva), where he works with the youngest patients and their families. Josip has attended specialist programs in orthopaedics in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Portugal and the United States. He is currently completing his doctoral studies in the field of Biomedicine and Health Sciences at the Medical School of the University of Zagreb.

He is the official physician of the Croatian Basketball Federation, the Croatian Women's Under 16 Basketball Team, the Croatian Men's Junior Basketball Team and the Zagreb Football Association.

Multi-Stakeholder Round Table participants will include psychologists, psychiatrists, physiatrists, lactation consultants, nurses, babywearing consultants and others. Their details will be included on the program page once confirmed.