Gillings School Directory
Kathy Parry, MPH, IBCLC, LMBT
Kathy Parry, MPH, IBCLC, LMBT
Project Director
Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute
Kathy Parry, MPH, IBCLC, LMBT is a team member of the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI) in the Department of Maternal and Child Health. At CGBI, Kathy is Director of Prenatal Breastfeeding Education and management team member for the ENRICH Carolinas project working with birthing facilities in North and South Carolina to improve access to equitable and evidence-based care. Previously she served as a management team member for the EMPower Breastfeeding and EMPower Training Initiatives, CDC-funded efforts to support improvements in maternity-care practices at nearly 200 facilities the United States. Kathy also supports global projects and communications for the institute. Her previous work at CGBI includes collaboration with Food for the Hungry on the development of three adaptable responsive feeding and attachment-related curricula for low-income countries fighting malnutrition and stunting. Kathy is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LMBT), a former Certified Educator of Infant Massage and a former DONA-certified birth doula. Her service work includes a staff advisor role for the graduate student group, Carolina BEBES, and ongoing participation in the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition, with 7 years on the executive board, including terms as Secretary and Chair. Kathy lives in Durham, NC with her family.
Honors and Awards
Impact in Practice Award2017, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Robert E. Bryant Public Service Award2012, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Delta Omega Honorary Society2012, Johns Hopkins University
Research Activities
- Responsive Feeding
- Infant Massage / Partner Involvement
- Infant Formula Marketing
Key Publications
Evaluation of Ready, Set, BABY: A prenatal breastfeeding education and counseling approach. Parry K, Tully KP, Hopper LN, Schildkamp PE and Labbok MH. (2018). Birth.
Innovative Prenatal Breastfeeding Education Curriculum: Ready, Set, BABY. Parry K. (2017). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49.
Health Professional Associations and Industry Funding – reply from Parry et al. Parry K, Sullivan C, Stuebe AM (2017). Lancet, 389(10080), 1696.
Achieving Exclusive Breastfeeding: Translating Research into Practice. Labbok MH, Taylor E, Parry K (2013). Hale Publishing.
Understanding Women’s Perceptions of Infant Formula Advertising. Parry K, Taylor E, Labbok M (2013). Birth, 40.
Education
MPH, Maternal and Child Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2012
IBCLC, Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative, Lactation Consulting, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2012
LMBT, Massage Therapy, Blue Cliff College, 2003
BA, German, Business Administration, University of North Carolina, 1999
