Birthing the World | Call for presentations

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

- KEY DATES -

Opening date for submissions
January 27, 2010

Closing date for submissions
(symposium, workshop, oral presentation)
April 14, 2010

Closing date for submissions
(poster presentation)
May 31, 2010

Notification of acceptance
June 2010

BIRTHING THE WORLD is what humanity does every day. Each second, thousands of children are born. This merits delving into and undertaking a process of collective reflection on how we want to prepare for and experience childbirth, as well as on the context in which our children live the earliest part of their existence.

It is in the context of this interesting and indispensable reflection that the Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ) cordially invites you to submit proposals in the form of an abstract for an oral or poster presentation.

In 1980, the ASPQ, in collaboration with the Quebec Ministry of Social Affairs, organized a series of regional colloquia entitled “Accoucher… ou se faire accoucher?” [Childbirth: Pushing for a more natural process]. These events constituted a milestone in the history of perinatal care in Quebec. Thirty years later, in a context that has evolved immensely in many ways, the ASPQ is hosting an interdisciplinary conference to place in perspective our collective aspirations regarding the early stages of life. This conference is unique in that it will bring together in one location a broad array of the perinatal care practitioners who, though operating in the same field, rarely get the chance to share with one another their experiences and questions, their research results or their practice outcomes.

The aim of this event is essentially to strengthen our confidence in our natural capacity to carry and bear children, and to nurture them physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is intended as a major step forward in how we conceive and perceive the perinatal period, which covers a process that is fundamental to both human physiology and society.

Whatever your discipline may be, if the themes that we will address resonate in your practice, your research or studies, your experiences or your interests, and if the objective that we are pursuing strikes a chord, we invite you to come present and share your achievements and reflections. The success of Birthing the World will depend on the variety of topics covered, approaches proposed, and disciplines represented.

One and all are welcome.

The Interdisciplinary Scientific Committee

Three major themes

> Physiological childbirth.“Giving birth is a natural experience. It is a normal process. However, in a society driven by the desire to control all potential risks, we must remember that the natural physiological process of childbirth needs to be defended. This requires that we set up suitable environments to this end and that we merge our efforts around this conviction. It also means that we must respect each woman’s personality – her particularities, her rhythm, and her privacy.” (Politique de périnatalité 2008-2018, Un projet porteur de vie. Gouvernement du Québec, 2008, p.9; free translation)

> Breastfeeding. “Human milk is species-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, making human milk uniquely superior for infant feeding.” The actual act of breastfeeding, for its part, triggers a cascade of physiological reactions beneficial to both mothers and babies. Although these facts are widely acknowledged, a number of factors come to bear on both the experience and duration of breastfeeding. In order to defend and foster the normal process of breastfeeding, we must take into account a host of social, cultural, and economic considerations.

> Becoming parents. For both fathers and mothers, the transition to parenthood is a period of profound change and constant adaptation. The many challenges they face are amplified by the glorification of performance in society, the accentuation of social inequalities, the acceleration of technological and social change, and the accumulation of roles played by parents. This is why it is important to support parents, to offer them suitable environments, and to coordinate the messages intended for them.

The perinatal period refers to a continuous physiological process that covers pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding and that extends from the moment of conception to the child’s second birthday. The process entails a multitude of physiological, psychological, family and spiritual adaptations. To clearly demonstrate this continuum, each of the three major themes will be addressed with a focus on this continuous process.

For more information on the Conference, click here.

The call for Presentations is now officially closed. We thank all those who submitted an abstract.

PRESENTATION FORMATS
Four formats are possible.

Symposium
A symposium is composed of a series of oral presentations by a group of at least three persons, which deals with different aspects of a single topic or with related subjects. Duration: 90 minutes.

Workshop
A workshop consists of a learning activity that allows conference attendees to participate actively, in small groups, in the acquisition of knowledge. It is led either by a person who has developed expertise in a field or by a person who will base the activity on a reference document.
Duration: 30–90 minutes.

Oral presentation
Oral presentation must last from 10 to 20 minutes and will be followed by a 5-minute question period.

Poster presentation
Poster presentations will be displayed for one day. On the occasion, the person who makes the presentation will have the chance for exchanges with conference attendees in the area reserved for the purpose.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING AN ABSTRACT
(Symposium, workshop, oral, poster)

Abstracts must be submitted online using the link below. The deadline for doing so is Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Please read the instructions below carefully before proceeding with your submission.

Title
The title of the presentation must not exceed 100 characters.

Source
The subject of the presentation may be a research, a study, a program, a field test, or a reflection in any field whatsoever, be it health related or other.

Abstract
The abstract must describe the content of your presentation without exceeding 3,500 characters. It will be published in the Conference program online.

For researches, the abstract must be structured as follows: objective, method, results, conclusions. If you wish to include a bibliography, you must forward it separately, by e-mail, to the Conference offices at info@birthingtheworld.com, identified by the number that will be assigned to your file when receipt of your abstract is confirmed.

For symposia, in addition to describing the content, the abstract must include the names of the persons taking part and the titles of their respective presentations. The committee will give priority to symposia that propose an interdisciplinary approach to a single topic.

Theme
Indicate which of the three major conference themes your presentation falls under: physiological childbirth, breastfeeding, becoming parents.

Key words
Give four or five key words that best characterize the content of your presentation.

Presentation format
Indicate your preferred presentation format: symposium, workshop, oral or poster. Please note that the final decision in this regard will be left to the discretion of the Scientific Committee.

Language
Indicate your preferred language of presentation (English or French) and the language(s) in which you are able to field questions from conference attendees.

Confirmation of submission
The person who submits the abstract will automatically receive an electronic acknowledgment upon receipt.

Notification of acceptance
All abstracts will be evaluated by the Conference’s Interdisciplinary Scientific Committee. Corresponding authors will be advised in June 2010 whether their proposed presentation is accepted and, if so, in what format (symposium, workshop, oral or poster).

Please note that all individuals who will present must be duly registered for the conference before the abstract will be published in the program online.

Publication of abstracts
Abstracts will be published “as is” in the program online and only in the language submitted (English or French).

Details regarding the different presentation types will be sent to you when your abstract is accepted.

- KEY DATES -

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