- Clinical Associate Professor
- College of Nursing
- Phone: 401.874.5327
- Email: dditomasso@uri.edu
- Office Location: RI NEC Room 232, 350 Eddy St., Providence, RI, 02905
Biography
Dr. Diane DiTomasso is an associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island. She has more than 25 years of experience in antepartum, labor and delivery, postpartum, newborn, and lactation care settings. At the College of Nursing, she teaches childbearing and reproductive health, simulation, and nursing research courses.
Her program of research focuses on human lactation and weight changes in breastfed infants. Her research has garnered national and international attention. She was honored with the 2019 Journal of Human Lactation’s Best Research Article with a Practice Focus Award, the 2020 Best of JOGNN Award, and the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Suzanne Feetham Nurse Scientist Family Research Award. Dr. DiTomasso serves as a member of the national Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing Research Advisory Panel. She is also a member of the awards committee for the ENRS. Dr. DiTomasso is an international board- certified lactation consultant and practices as a lactation consultant at Women and Infant’s Hospital in Providence Rhode Island.
Research
Human lactation; infant weight loss and growth; maternal confidence in breastfeeding
Education
PhD, Nursing, University of Rhode Island
MS, Nursing, University of Rhode Island
BS, Nursing, University of Rhode Island
Selected Publications
DiTomasso, D., Wambach, K. Roberts, M., Erickson-Owens, D., Quigley, A., & Newbury, J. (2021). Maternal worry about infant weight and its influence on artificial milk supplementation and breastfeeding cessation. Journal of Human Lactation, 0, 00: 1-13. doi:10.1177/08903344211000284
Bartels, R., DiTomasso, D., & Macht, G. (2020) A mother-centered evaluation of breast pumps. Applied Ergonomics. 88:103123. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103123
DiTomasso, D. & Cloud, M. (2019). A systematic review of expected weight changes in full term breastfed newborns after birth. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 48, 593–603. doi: 10.1016/j.jogn.2019.09.004
DiTomasso, D. (2019). Bearing the pain: a historic review exploring the impact of science and culture on pain management for childbirth in the United States. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 0, 1-9. doi:10.1097/JPN.0000000000000407
DiTomasso, D. & Ferszt, G. (2018). Mothers’ thoughts and feelings about use of a pediatric sale in the home to monitor weight changes in breast fed newborns. Nursing for Women’s Health, 22 (6), 463-470. doi:10.1016/j.nwh. 2018.10.004
DiTomasso, D., Roberts, M., & Parker Cotton, B. (2018). Post-partum mothers’ experiences with newborn weight checks in the home. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 32(4), 333-340. doi:10.1097/JPN.0000000000000367
DiTomasso, D. & Paiva, A. (2018B). Reply to: “Does pronounced birth weight loss indicate breastfeeding failure?” Journal of Human Lactation, 40(2), 140. doi: 10.1177/0890334417745023
DiTomasso, D. & Paiva, A. (2018A). Neonatal weight matters: An examination of weight changes in full-term breastfeeding newborns during the first two weeks of life. Journal of Human Lactation, 34(1), 86-92. doi: 10.1177/0890334417722508
Thulier, D. (2017). Challenging expected patterns of weight loss in full-term breastfeeding neonates delivered by cesarean. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing,46, 18–28. doi: 10.1016/j.jogn.2016.11.00
Thulier, D. (2016). Weighing the facts: A systematic review of expected patterns of weight loss in full-term, breastfed infants. Journal of Human Lactation, 1–7. doi:10.1177/0890334415597681
Thulier, D. (2010). A call for clarity in infant breast and bottle-feeding definitions for research. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 39, 627-634. doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01197.x
Thulier, D. & Mercer, J. (2009). A review of variables associated with breastfeeding duration. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 38, 259-268. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2009.01021.x
Thulier, D. (2009). The history of breastfeeding in America. Journal of Human Lactation, 25(1), 85-94. doi: 10.1177/0890334408324452
Other:
2021 AWHONN Position Statement: Academic Preparation for Registered Nurses. Role: Contributing Author. https://www.jognn. org/article/S0884-2175(21)00056-3/pdf.