Welcome to ELACTA Conference 2026 in Romania!
Main Conference language is English. There is a possibility for translation. Please contact your national association to discuss possibilities for translation.
Workshops in English, German languages.
We invite our members and other specialists, breastfeeding supporters to the biannual conference to learn, discuss and exchange knowledge, skills and experience. Our 14th conference will be held in the city Bucharest – Romania’s capital, which is the country’s largest city and its cultural, commercial and financial center, a vibrant city full of charm, bohemian lifestyle, beautiful historical buildings and which will surely become a memorable experience.
Our conference will take place in the Hotel Pullman Bucharest – World Trade Center, 10 Montreal Square District 1, Bucharest, 031041, Romania
By registering for the conference, you will be able to take advantage of a discount on hotel rates. For more information, please go to the Venue and Accomodation page.
Pre-Conference: 14 May, 2026 – Workshop day
Thursday, 14 May 2026
At this conference ELACTA is offering workshops in English (E) and German (G). Please, choose the workshop of your mother tongue or the language you learned.
Program
8:00 Conference Registration (until 17.00)
9.00 – 12.00 Workshops 1-7* (Break between 10.30-11.00)
- Visit to the First Human Milk Bank in Romania – Maria S. Curie Hospital
- Carole Herve – Exploring Early Oral Experiences and the Role of Breastfeeding in Shaping Taste and Tolerance
- Adina Popov – Feeding the Senses: The Hidden Neuroscience of Why Babies Are Wired to Nurse
- Irena Zakarija-Grković – How to Assess Your Country’s Breastfeeding Policies and Practices? Join the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative!
- Maryse Arendt – The International Code, Conflict of interests and updates
- Micaela Notarangelo – Stepping into Their Shoes: Understanding the Breastfeeding and Feeding Challenges in Infants with Oral Cleft
- Abstracts Presentations
12.00 Lunch
13.30 – 16.30 Workshops 8-14* (Break between 15.00-15.30)
8. Maya Bolman – Gentle Manual Therapeutic Techniques in Lactation: Movement, Flow and Kindness
9. Andrea Hemmelmayr – Breastfeeding in Emergencies – Practical and ethical considerations regarding food security for infants and young children in crisis situations
10. Sandra Tydecks – Zwei Welten. Ein Ziel. Babyfreundlich vom Kreißsaal bis zur Hightech-Intensivstation (GERMAN)
11. Sven Onclinx and Joke Muyldermans – A Holistic and Collaborative Approach to Breastfeeding Challenges: The Role of Lactation Consultants and Osteopaths
12. Gina Weissman & Orr Cohen – Is it a Tongue Tie? Infant Assessment for Oral Restriction : The IBCLC’s Holistic Perspective
13. Presidents meeting
14. Visit to the First Human Milk Bank in Romania – Maria S. Curie Hospital
18.00 Reception
The conference organizers reserve the right to change the program for unforeseen reasons.
Main conference: 15-16 May, 2026
Conference language is ENGLISH
Program
Friday, 15 May 2026 Conference Day 1
8:00 Registration
9.00 Introduction (ELACTA and ACLR Presidents)
SECTION I Shaping the Future: Communication, Code and Clarity
10.00 Jeanette McCulloch – There’s Something Wrong Online: How To Tackle Health Misinformation Online
10.45 Maryse Arendt – Don’t Be Afraid of the Code
11.30 Break
SECTION II Shaping the Future: Ties that Matter – Frenulum Insights
12.00 Gina Weissman – Lip Tie – Maxillary Frenulum Dilemma: Current Classifications and Clinical Guidelines
12.45 Marta – Guoth-Gumberger – Update on Tongue Ties
13.30 Lunch
SECTION III Shaping the Future: From First Taste to Lifelong Support
14.30 Carole Herve – Exploring Early Oral Experiences and the Role of Breastfeeding in Shaping Taste and Tolerance
15.15 Laurel Wilson – Perimenopause and Lactation Hormonal Harmony – Lactation support through Life Stages
16.00 Break
SECTION IV
16.30 Robert Boyle – Allergy in Infants
17.15 General Assembly ELACTA (only for ELACTA members)
18.30 Closing
20.00 – 22.30 Social: Science dinner
Saturday, 16 May 2026 Conference Day 2
8:00 Registration
SECTION I Shaping the Future: Navigating Clinical Challenges in Lactation
9.00 Joke Muyldermans – Candidiasis in the Breastfeeding Dyad – Treatment and Wound Management
9.45 Karolina Morze – Medication or lactation? Factors Influencing Heath Choices Among Breastfeeding Women in Need of Pharmacotherapy
10.30 Micaela Notarangelo – Pump Study – Beyond Suction: Exploring Pump Rhythms, Vacuum and Patterns to Navigate the Breast Pump Landscape
11.15 Break
SECTION II Shaping the Future: Stories, Screens & Science
11.45 Mara Ricoy Olariaga – Breastfeeding in the Movies, the Directors Cut
12.30 General Poster Session
13.00 Lunch
SECTION III Shaping the Future: Resilience and Infant Wellbeing through Breastfeeding
14.00 Viktoria Nesterova – Infant and Young Child Feeding in Wartime Europe: Breastfeeding Trends, Resilience, and Gaps from Ukraine
14.45 Nike Mencke – Breastfeeding and IMH – Creating Patterns of Connection
15.30 Break
SECTION IV Shaping the Future: Bonding Beyond Daylight
16.00 Ylva Thernström Blomqvist – Skin-to-Skin Care: From Healthy Full-Term Infants to Neonatal Intensive Care
16.45 Carolina de Weerth – Stress, Breastfeeding and Milk Cortisol: Do They Impact the Child?
17.30 Poster and abstract winner announcement + Closing Remarks
18.00 End of the Conference
The conference organizers reserve the right to change the program for unforeseen reasons.
Sunday, 17 May 2026 Social Program Options
Information coming soon
Call for abstracts
All the ELACTA members and not only can actively contribute to ELACTA Conference 2026 by presenting their experiences and their knowledge in the form of posters or oral presentations at a workshop!
You are cordially invited to present a poster and/or a 15 minutes oral presentation. In the following, you will find the details for submission of abstracts.
Submission process – essential points :
- Abstracts for a poster and/or an oral presentation will be accepted in the areas of Breastfeeding and Lactation Clinical practice, Policies and advocacy, Research, Breastfeeding support projects.
- Abstracts can be submitted for an oral presentation (up to 15 minutes on Thursday 14th of May 2026) or as a printed poster (maximum size A0, exhibited on 15th and 16th of May 2026).
- Abstract submission deadline – 3
1 December, 2025, 23:59extended until the 31st of January, 2026, 23:59. - From the submitted abstracts the ELACTA Conference Scientific Committee will select those that will be presented to the conference participants. The authors will be notified of the acceptance or rejection by email by February 15, 2026 and are kindly asked to confirm receipt about their participation by email to: abstracts@elacta.eu
- Selected authors (in case of the collective authorship, one representative) will be registered under the conditions of an early registration participant.
- After the Conference, the selected abstracts for oral presentations and posters can be published on the ELACTA website.
Award for the best oral presentation and poster:
The winning abstracts of posters and oral presentations (voted by the conference participants by secret ballot) will be published in ELACTA’s journal Lactation and Breastfeeding and authors (in case of the collective authorship, one representative) will be nominated a free ticket to the next ELACTA conference in 2028.
Those wishing to participate in the selection must fill out an APPLICATION FORM. Only complete submissions which conform to the guidelines in format and structure received before the deadline 31 December, 2025, 23:59 extended until the 31st of January, 2026, 23:59 will be accepted for consideration.
Guidelines for submission of Oral presentation and Posters
If you have any questions about the submission process, please contact by the email address: abstracts@elacta.eu
To stay updated on all the latest information about the conference, including speakers, agenda, and registration details, sign up for our newsletter.
Be part of this transformative event in the heart of Romania and contribute to the advancement of lactation and breastfeeding practices worldwide.
Leave your email address below to ensure you don't miss any important announcements.
Subscribe to our newsletter
to stay up to date with the news