Diane (Thulier) DiTomasso, PhD, RN, IBCLC, FAWHONN

  • Clinical Associate Professor, Director of Pathways to Nursing Program
  • 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.