Medela is deeply committed to research and continuously invests in basic and exploratory studies to improve health outcomes. Since 1961, we have partnered with healthcare professionals and human milk experts to advance research and develop evidence-based practices. This investment has not only set industry standards, but also forms the scientific foundation for product innovation and clinical practice. It brings research to life, while influencing how we design products and serve our customers, improving care for moms, babies and patients around the world.
Through longstanding collaborations with key opinion leaders, academic institutions, NGOs, and healthcare professionals, Medela supports dedicated research projects in the fields of lactation, human milk composition (OMM), breastfeeding, and surgical care, setting the standard for collaboration between industry and academia to advance the science of care.
Through research analyzing the lactating breast and infant suckling, Medela developed our 2-Phase Expression® technology - found in all Medela breast pumps - that closely mimics a baby’s natural nursing rhythm to help build and maintain breast milk supply.
After extensive research to understand the composition of human milk and the specific nutritional needs of the most fragile infants, Medela developed NICU-specific innovations, such as our Guardian Warmer®, that warms breast milk while optimizing preservation and delivery of essential, life-giving nutrients during enteral feeds to infants in the NICU.
With our research to understand how breast milk supply is activated in the hours and days after birth, Medela developed the Initiation Technology® engineered into our Symphony PLUS® Breast Pump to help more new mothers initiate and significantly increase breast milk production.
Medela's commitment to research is ingrained in our identity; driving innovation, inspiring tomorrow’s researchers and supporting impactful contributions to the field. Through academic partnerships with esteemed institutions worldwide, Medela continues to support and share cutting-edge research and lactation science.
One of Medela's cornerstone collaborations is with The University of Western Australia (UWA), established in 1996. This partnership has yielded groundbreaking discoveries in mammary gland function, milk synthesis, and removal. Today, Professor Donna Geddes leads the Medela-UWA research collaboration, a comprehensive research program exploring the intricate aspects of breastfeeding, human lactation, and infant feeding.
Since 2006, Medela has organized a Global Breastfeeding & Lactation Symposium that brings together leading minds in lactation science. This symposium series is a testament to our commitment to advancing research, educating on the value of lactation and human milk, improving clinical practice and promoting standardized global procedures to enhance health outcomes for breastfeeding families worldwide.
