Alison Stuebe, MD

About

Dr. Stuebe is a distinguished scholar in infant and young child feeding in the Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is also a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UNC School of Medicine.

Dr. Stuebe's research focuses on the health of mothers and infants in the first year of life, with an emphasis on the intersection of infant feeding and perinatal mood. She currently leads the Mood, Mother and Infant study, an NIH-funded longitudinal study of the role of oxytocin and HPA axis dysregulation in postpartum depression and insecure attachment. She is also PI of the Care4Moms study, a mixed-methods project to develop new models for postpartum care for mothers of medically fragile infants. 

Dr. Stuebe's primary research informs development of policies and committee opinions for national organizations. She is a member of the board of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, and she serves on the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Expert Working Groups on Breastfeeding and on Maternal Mental Health. 

In the clinical arena, she is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine physician and Medical Director of Lactation Services for UNC Health Care, leading an interdisciplinary team and directing the Breastfeeding Medicine Consult Service. She teaches in the Mary Rose Tully Lactation Training Initiative and presents at conferences internationally and throughout the US.

Alison Stuebe in the Gillings News

Honors and Awards

Talent Identification Progarm Distinguished Alumae Award
2017, Duke University

Award of Research Excellence
2016, Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Jefferson Pilot Faculty Scholar
2013, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine

Research Activities

Principal Investigator, Care4Moms

Co-Investigator, Cocaine and Maternal Behavior: Effects on Trajectory of Infant Brain Development

Co-Investigator, Coordinating Center, Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos

Service Activities

2017- Present   Maternal Mental Health Working Group

2017- Present   Chair, Task Force on Reinventing the Postpartum Visit

2017 - Present   President-Elect, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

2017 - Present   Board of Directors

2017 - Present   Health Policy and Advocacy Committee

2016- Present   Clinical Document Review Panel

2015- Present  Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee

2015 - Present   Co-chair, Postpartum Safety Bundle Work Group

2015- Present   Breastfeeding Expert Working Group

2009 - Present   Communications Committee

2009 - Present   Chair, Communications Committee, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

Practice Activities

Patterns of opiate prescribing following cesarean birth. Presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, February 2018.

Pregnancy independently impacts long term maternal cardiovascular function. Presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, February 2018.

The effect of lactation on long-term cardiovascular function. Presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, February 2018.

Using electronic medical record data to quantify racial and ethnic differences in pain management following cesarean birth. Presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, February 2018.

Perinatal mood disorders and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis dysregulation. Presented at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, February 2018.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy among Mothers of Medically Fragile Infants, 2018.

Driving Time as a Structural Barrier to Quality Prenatal Care, 2018.

Lactation Safety Recommendation And Reliability Update In 10 Medication Resources From 2007-2017. Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine 22nd Annual International Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2017.

How Healthcare Providers and Payers Can Enable Breastfeeding: The Role of Law and Policy. Presented at the American Public Health Association 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo, Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Establishing the 4th Trimester. Presented at the American Public Health Association 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo, Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Suboptimal Breastfeeding in The United States: Maternal and Pediatric Health Outcomes and Costs. Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Disparities in Breastfeeding: Impact on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes and Costs. Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Lactation Quantitative Sensory Testing (L-QST) in Persistent Breastfeeding Pain.  Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

An online Calculator To Estimate The Impact Of Changes in Breastfeeding Rates on Population Health and Costs.  Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Postnatal Unit Experiences of Mothers in The United States, by Cesarean Section or Vaginal Childbirth.  Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

"Perinatal mood, antidepressant use and oxytocin during infant feeding." Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

"Childhood trauma history, breastfeeding and postpartum depression."  Presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA, November 2017.

Key Publications

Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Prenatal Care for Spanish-Speaking Women. Fryer K, Lewis G, Munoz C, Stuebe AM** (2021). North Carolina Medical Journal January, 82(1), 7-13.

Preconception Diet Quality Is Associated with Birth Weight for Gestational Age Among Women in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Siega-Riz AM, Vladutiu CJ, Butera NM, Daviglus M, Gellman M, Isasi CR, Stuebe AM^, Talavera GA, Van Horn L, Sotres-Alvarez D. (2021). Journal of Women's Health, 121(3), 458-466.

Multiparous Black and Latinx Women Face More Barriers to Prenatal Care than White Women. . Fryer K~, Munoz MC, Rahangdale L, Stuebe AM** (2021). Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8(1), 80-87.

A multi-component, community-engaged intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in perimenopausal Latinas: pilot study protocol. Cortés YI, Berry DC, Perreira KM, Stuebe A^, Stoner L, Giscombé CW, Crandell J, Santíago L, Harris LK, Duran M (2021). Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 7(1).

Reward-related eating, self-regulation, and weight change in pregnancy and postpartum: the Pregnancy Eating Attributes Study. Nansel TR, Lipsky LM, Burger K, Faith M, Nicholson W, Stuebe A^, et al.  (2020). International Journal of Obesity, 44(12), 2444-2454.

Health Needs of Mothers of Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit : A Mixed-Methods Study. Verbiest S, Ferrari R, Tucker C, McClain EK, Charles N, Stuebe AM# (2020). Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(11), S37-S44.

Provider Counseling and Women's Family Planning Decisions in the Postpartum Period. Goulding AN~, Bauer AE, Muddana A, Bryant AG, Stuebe AM (2020). Journal of Women's Health, 29(6), 847-853.

Oxytocin during breastfeeding and maternal mood symptoms. Psychoneuroendocrinology. Whitley J, Wouk K, Bauer AE, Grewen K, Gottfredson NC, Meltzer-Brody S, Propper C, Mills-Koonce R, Pearson B, Stuebe A.  (2019). Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal, 113.

Education