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Outputs (126)

Piloting Eyes on the Baby: A Multiagency Training and Implementation Intervention Linking Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Prevention and Safeguarding (2024)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., Grieve, L. M., Keegan, A., Cooper, L., Lovell-Kennedy, S., Newbury-Birch, D., …Healy, A. (2024). Piloting Eyes on the Baby: A Multiagency Training and Implementation Intervention Linking Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Prevention and Safeguarding. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2024, Article 4944268. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/4944268

We describe the coproduction, pilot implementation, and user evaluation of an evidence-based training intervention addressing prevention of Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy (SUDI) for the multiagency workforce supporting vulnerable families with b... Read More about Piloting Eyes on the Baby: A Multiagency Training and Implementation Intervention Linking Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Prevention and Safeguarding.

Construction of the Views oN Infant Sleep (VNIS) Questionnaire (2024)
Journal Article
Boedker, I., Ball, H. L., Richter, M., South, T. L., & Roberts, S. G. (2024). Construction of the Views oN Infant Sleep (VNIS) Questionnaire. Early Human Development, 191, Article 105989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.105989

Parents' beliefs about infant sleep behaviour vary over time and across cultures. No validated instrument exists to understand parents' pre- and postnatal views on infant sleep behaviours, which may influence their caregiving decisions. The Views oN... Read More about Construction of the Views oN Infant Sleep (VNIS) Questionnaire.

Infant sleep and anxiety disorders in early childhood: Findings from an Australian pregnancy cohort study (2024)
Journal Article
MacMillan, K. K., Bourke, D., Watson, S. J., Lewis, A. J., Teti, D. M., Ball, H. L., & Galbally, M. (2024). Infant sleep and anxiety disorders in early childhood: Findings from an Australian pregnancy cohort study. Infant and Child Development, Article e2501. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2501

Emphasis on continuous infant sleep overnight may be driven by parental concern of risk to child mental health outcomes. The Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS) examined whether infant sleep at 6 and 12 months postpartum predicts an... Read More about Infant sleep and anxiety disorders in early childhood: Findings from an Australian pregnancy cohort study.

Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies (2023)
Journal Article
Silva-Caballero, A., Ball, H. L., Kramer, K. L., & Bentley, G. R. (2023). Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 11(1), 448-460. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoad040

Background and objectives Good sleep quality, associated with few arousals, no daytime sleepiness and self-satisfaction with one’s sleep, is pivotal for adolescent growth, maturation, cognition and overall health. This article aims to identify what... Read More about Sleep tight! Adolescent sleep quality across three distinct sleep ecologies.

Multiagency approaches to preventing sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI): a review and analysis of UK policies (2023)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., Keegan, A., Whitehouse, D. R., Cooper, L. S., Lovell-Kennedy, S. R., Murray, L. M., …Healy, A. (2023). Multiagency approaches to preventing sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI): a review and analysis of UK policies. BMJ Public Health, 1(1), e000017. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2023-000017

Background Recent reviews of sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) in England recommend a multiagency working (MAW) approach to prevention but lack clear guidance around how this might be implemented. Aims In England, local authorities commis... Read More about Multiagency approaches to preventing sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI): a review and analysis of UK policies.

Exploring the Longitudinal Relationship Between Short Sleep Duration, Temperament and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in a Biethnic Population of Children Aged Between 6 and 61 Months: A Born in Bradford Study (2023)
Journal Article
Stott, J., Coleman, E., Hamilton, A., Blackwell, J., & Ball, H. L. (2023). Exploring the Longitudinal Relationship Between Short Sleep Duration, Temperament and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in a Biethnic Population of Children Aged Between 6 and 61 Months: A Born in Bradford Study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 27(9), 929-938. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231168433

Objective: Examine the association between sleep duration, temperament and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a biethnic child-population from The Born in Bradford cohort. Method: Parent-report sleep duration categorize... Read More about Exploring the Longitudinal Relationship Between Short Sleep Duration, Temperament and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in a Biethnic Population of Children Aged Between 6 and 61 Months: A Born in Bradford Study.

Sociodemographic, temporal and bedtime routine correlates of sleep timing and duration in South Asian and white children: A Born in Bradford study (2023)
Journal Article
Pal, E., Blackwell, J. E., Ball, H. L., & Collings, P. J. (2023). Sociodemographic, temporal and bedtime routine correlates of sleep timing and duration in South Asian and white children: A Born in Bradford study. Sleep medicine. X, 5, Article 100068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleepx.2023.100068

Objective The study aimed to examine sociodemographic, temporal and bedtime routine correlates of parent-reported sleep duration and timing in a biethnic sample of 18 month and 36 month old children from a disadvantaged location. Methods Between Octo... Read More about Sociodemographic, temporal and bedtime routine correlates of sleep timing and duration in South Asian and white children: A Born in Bradford study.

Relationships between postpartum depression, sleep, and infant feeding in the early postpartum: An exploratory analysis (2023)
Journal Article
Rudzik, A. E., Robinson-Smith, L., Tugwell, F., & Ball, H. L. (2023). Relationships between postpartum depression, sleep, and infant feeding in the early postpartum: An exploratory analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1133386

Introduction: The study objectives were to determine the relationships between postpartum depression and maternal and infant sleep parameters and to examine the impact of infant feeding method on infant and maternal sleep and postpartum depression sy... Read More about Relationships between postpartum depression, sleep, and infant feeding in the early postpartum: An exploratory analysis.

The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review (2023)
Journal Article
Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2023). The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review. American Journal of Human Biology, 35(6), Article e23878. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23878

Introduction Many parents swaddle their infants to promote sleep and reduce night-waking, however lack of definitive evidence about the pros and cons of swaddling when breastfeeding hinders postnatal recommendations regarding this infant care practic... Read More about The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review.

Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities (2023)
Journal Article
Silva-Caballero, A., Ball, H. L., Kramer, K. L., & Bentley, G. R. (2023). Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities. Scientific Reports, 13(1), Article 1058. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28330-8

Comparing the nature of adolescent sleep across urban and more isolated, rural settings through an ecological, cross-cultural perspective represents one way to inform sleep nuances and broaden our understanding of human development, wellbeing and evo... Read More about Sleep deprivation among adolescents in urban and indigenous-rural Mexican communities.

Bed-sharing and SIDS: an evidence-based approach (2022)
Journal Article
Blair, P. S., Ball, H. L., Pease, A., & Fleming, P. J. (2022). Bed-sharing and SIDS: an evidence-based approach. Archives of Disease in Childhood, archdischild-2021-323469. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-323469

We read with interest the viewpoint article ‘Bed-sharing is a risk for sudden unexpected death in infancy’ written by David Tappin and his colleagues1 and feel the issues raised and some of the claims made need contextualising. Essentially this is a... Read More about Bed-sharing and SIDS: an evidence-based approach.

Digital health tools to support parents with parent-infant sleep and mental well-being (2022)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., & Keegan, A. (2022). Digital health tools to support parents with parent-infant sleep and mental well-being. npj Digital Medicine, 5(1), Article 185. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00732-4

Digital technology is increasingly important in people’s lives, particularly for new parents as it allows them to access information, stay connected to peers and offers them seductive solutions for improving infant sleep and parental well-being. Digi... Read More about Digital health tools to support parents with parent-infant sleep and mental well-being.

The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis (2022)
Journal Article
Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2022). The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, Article 1000180. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.1000180

To explore the effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal in infants under 12 months of age we conducted a systematic review of the evidence published over the past 15 years since the review of van Sleuwen et al. (1). This previous review conclu... Read More about The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Lost in translation - the influence of language on infant sleep research (2022)
Journal Article
Medvecová Tinková, L., & Ball, H. L. (2022). Lost in translation - the influence of language on infant sleep research. Sleep Health, 8(1), 96-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2021.10.010

Objectives: We consider whether language shapes cultural interpretations of sleep in the family context using ethnographic data from the Czech Republic to explore one of the methods employed by Czech parents in helping their children aged 0-3 years t... Read More about Lost in translation - the influence of language on infant sleep research.

Maternal Depression and Early Parenting: A Comparison between Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Australian born Mothers (2022)
Journal Article
Eatt, J., Watson, S., Ball, H., Sevar, K., & Galbally, M. (2022). Maternal Depression and Early Parenting: A Comparison between Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Australian born Mothers. Australasian Psychiatry, 30(1), 119-125. https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562211052886

Objective: To examine the risk of perinatal depression, parenting stress and infant sleep practices in Australian culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) women. Method: Within the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study, we examined 487 pr... Read More about Maternal Depression and Early Parenting: A Comparison between Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Australian born Mothers.

The impact of breastfeeding on mother-baby sleep -- addressing popular myths (2021)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., & Keegan, A. (2021). The impact of breastfeeding on mother-baby sleep -- addressing popular myths. Laktation und Stillen, 33(3), 4-8

Does breastfeeding affect sleep, and does sleep affect breastfeeding? The answers to both these questions are largely ‘Yes’, however much of the relevant research is recent, and evidence-based information on the relationship between breastfeeding and... Read More about The impact of breastfeeding on mother-baby sleep -- addressing popular myths.

The validity, reliability, and feasibility of measurement tools used to assess sleep of pre-school aged children: a systematic rapid review (2021)
Journal Article
Phillips, S. M., Summerbell, C., Ball, H. L., Hesketh, K. R., Saxena, S., & Hillier-Brown, F. C. (2021). The validity, reliability, and feasibility of measurement tools used to assess sleep of pre-school aged children: a systematic rapid review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.770262

Background: Sleep of pre-school aged children is important for their health and development, but there are currently no standards for measuring sleep in this age group. We aimed to examine the validity, reliability and feasibility of tools used to as... Read More about The validity, reliability, and feasibility of measurement tools used to assess sleep of pre-school aged children: a systematic rapid review.

Biocultural perspectives on infant sleep (2021)
Book Chapter
Rudzik, A. E., Tomori, C., McKenna, J. J., & Ball, H. L. (2021). Biocultural perspectives on infant sleep. In S. Han, & C. Tomori (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Anthropology and Reproduction. Routledge

The chapter synthesizes research on infant sleep in biological and sociocultural anthropology. We first describe an early phase in which the evidence base was established to support the position that parent–infant sleep proximity and lactation are in... Read More about Biocultural perspectives on infant sleep.

A box to put the baby in: UK parent perceptions of two box programmes promoted for infant sleep (2021)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., Taylor, C. E., & Yuill, C. M. (2021). A box to put the baby in: UK parent perceptions of two box programmes promoted for infant sleep. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), Article 11473. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111473

Between 2016 and 2019 two different infant sleeping-box interventions were implemented in England: 1) shallow polypropylene baby boxes were distributed via a feasibility study to families with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk-factors; and 2)... Read More about A box to put the baby in: UK parent perceptions of two box programmes promoted for infant sleep.

Associations of diarised sleep onset time, period and duration with total and central adiposity in a biethnic sample of young children: the Born in Bradford observational cohort study (2021)
Journal Article
Collings, P. J., Blackwell, J. E., Pal, E., Ball, H. L., & Wright, J. (2021). Associations of diarised sleep onset time, period and duration with total and central adiposity in a biethnic sample of young children: the Born in Bradford observational cohort study. BMJ Open, 11(5), Article e044769. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044769

Objectives: To investigate associations of parent-reported sleep characteristics with adiposity levels in a biethnic sample of young children. Design: A cross-sectional observational study. Setting: The Born in Bradford 1000 study, UK. Participants:... Read More about Associations of diarised sleep onset time, period and duration with total and central adiposity in a biethnic sample of young children: the Born in Bradford observational cohort study.

Is the sleep of normal babies the same as 'normal infant sleep'? (2021)
Digital Artefact
Ball, H. L. (2021). Is the sleep of normal babies the same as 'normal infant sleep'?. [[Media unknown]]

Marrying expectations about infant sleep with the postnatal reality is a difficult task for many new parents. Prenatal fantasies of a baby sleeping soundly in their carefully prepared cot are rarely realised, while unrealistic expectations are uninte... Read More about Is the sleep of normal babies the same as 'normal infant sleep'?.

Biologically normal sleep in the mother‐infant dyad (2021)
Journal Article
Rudzik, A. E., & Ball, H. L. (2021). Biologically normal sleep in the mother‐infant dyad. American Journal of Human Biology, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23589

Objectives We examine infant sleep from evolutionary, historico‐cultural, and statistical/epidemiological perspectives and explore the distinct conceptions of “normal” produced by each. We use data from the “Sleeping Like a Baby” study to illustrate... Read More about Biologically normal sleep in the mother‐infant dyad.

Development and evaluation of 'Sleep, Baby & You' -- a discussion tool to support parental well-being and responsive care-giving (2020)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., Taylor, C. E., Thomas, V., & Douglas Pamela, S. (2020). Development and evaluation of 'Sleep, Baby & You' -- a discussion tool to support parental well-being and responsive care-giving. PLoS ONE, 15(8), Article e0237240. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237240

Disrupted parental sleep, presenting as post-partum fatigue and perceived as problematic infant sleep, is related to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety among new mothers and fathers. Previous research indicates that UK parents would value a... Read More about Development and evaluation of 'Sleep, Baby & You' -- a discussion tool to support parental well-being and responsive care-giving.

Baby-box schemes in England: parent and practitioner experiences, and recommendations (2020)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., & Taylor, C. E. (2020). Baby-box schemes in England: parent and practitioner experiences, and recommendations. BMC Pediatrics, 20(1), Article 154. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02064-2

Background: Programmes offering carboard baby boxes to parents in England began in some NHS Trusts in 2016. This study aimed to examine the strengths and weaknesses of English baby-box schemes as experienced by healthcare providers and parents. Metho... Read More about Baby-box schemes in England: parent and practitioner experiences, and recommendations.

Parental knowledge of safe infant sleep and sudden infant death syndrome is inadequate in Croatia (2020)
Journal Article
Barbir, I., Ball, H., & Zakarija‐Grković, I. (2020). Parental knowledge of safe infant sleep and sudden infant death syndrome is inadequate in Croatia. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child, 109(9), 1887-1888. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15207

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading category of death for post‐neonatal babies in wealthy countries and rates range from 0.06 to 0.9/1000 liveborn infants (1). Most research into infant sleep safety and SIDS is conducted in large count... Read More about Parental knowledge of safe infant sleep and sudden infant death syndrome is inadequate in Croatia.

Bedsharing and Breastfeeding: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #6, Revision 2019 (2020)
Journal Article
Blair, P. S., Ball, H. L., McKenna, J. J., Feldman-Winter, L., Marinelli, K. A., Bartick, M. C., & Committee, T. A. O. B. M. P. (2020). Bedsharing and Breastfeeding: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #6, Revision 2019. Breastfeeding Medicine, 15(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2019.29144.psb

A central goal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is the development of clinical protocols for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success. These protocols serve only as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mother... Read More about Bedsharing and Breastfeeding: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #6, Revision 2019.

Toward an integrated anthropology of infant sleep (2019)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Tomori, C., & McKenna, J. (2019). Toward an integrated anthropology of infant sleep. American Anthropologist, 121(3), 595-612. https://doi.org/10.1111/aman.13284

This paper provides a novel synthesis of anthropological research on infant sleep focusing on work in biological and sociocultural anthropology in the past decade. First, we briefly review early biological anthropological research into infant sleep b... Read More about Toward an integrated anthropology of infant sleep.

An Integrated Analysis of Maternal-Infant Sleep, Breastfeeding, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research Supporting a Balanced Discourse (2019)
Journal Article
Marinelli, K. A., Ball, H. L., McKenna, J. J., & Blair, P. S. (2019). An Integrated Analysis of Maternal-Infant Sleep, Breastfeeding, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research Supporting a Balanced Discourse. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(3), 510-520. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419851797

Breastfeeding and the place of sleep for the mother and the infant have been controversial internationally due to reported concerns regarding infant deaths despite the known benefits of exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding, which are increased by br... Read More about An Integrated Analysis of Maternal-Infant Sleep, Breastfeeding, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research Supporting a Balanced Discourse.

About Research: Conducting Online Surveys (2019)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L. (2019). About Research: Conducting Online Surveys. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(3), 413-417. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419848734

There is an established methodology for conducting survey research that aims to ensure rigorous research and robust outputs. With the advent of easy-to-use online survey platforms, however, the quality of survey studies has declined. This article sum... Read More about About Research: Conducting Online Surveys.

The Possums Infant Sleep Program: parents' perspectives on a novel parent-infant sleep intervention in Australia (2018)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L., Douglas, P. S., Kulasinghe, K., Whittingham, K., & Hill, P. (2018). The Possums Infant Sleep Program: parents' perspectives on a novel parent-infant sleep intervention in Australia. Sleep Health, 4(6), 519-526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2018.08.007

Aim: To evaluate parental perspectives on the acceptability and usefulness of a ‘cued-care’ approach to infant sleep implemented in an Australian primary care setting. The Possums Infant Sleep Program aims to empower parents to better understand thei... Read More about The Possums Infant Sleep Program: parents' perspectives on a novel parent-infant sleep intervention in Australia.

Discrepancies in maternal reports of infant sleep vs. actigraphy by mode of feeding (2018)
Journal Article
Rudzik, A. E., Robinson-Smith, L., & Ball, H. L. (2018). Discrepancies in maternal reports of infant sleep vs. actigraphy by mode of feeding. Sleep Medicine, 49, 90-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2018.06.010

Objectives: Many studies of infant sleep rely solely on parentally-reported data, assuming that parents accurately report their infant’s sleep parameters. The objective of this paper is to examine whether night-time sleep parameters of exclusively br... Read More about Discrepancies in maternal reports of infant sleep vs. actigraphy by mode of feeding.

Breastfeeding, Antidepressants and Depression in the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Well-being Study (2018)
Journal Article
Watson, S., Ball, H., Lewis, A., & Galbally, M. (2019). Breastfeeding, Antidepressants and Depression in the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Well-being Study. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(1), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334418758658

Background: Depression is consistently shown to predict lower rates of breastfeeding. In a handful of studies, breastfeeding has predicted lower depression symptoms. However, studies demonstrating the latter are limited in their measurement of both d... Read More about Breastfeeding, Antidepressants and Depression in the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Well-being Study.

Babies in boxes and the missing links on safe sleep: Human evolution and cultural revolution (2017)
Journal Article
Bartick, M., Tomori, C., & Ball, H. L. (2018). Babies in boxes and the missing links on safe sleep: Human evolution and cultural revolution. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 14(2), Article e12544. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12544

Concerns about bedsharing as a risk for sudden infant death syndrome and other forms of sleep-associated infant death have gained prominence as a public health issue. Cardboard “baby boxes” are increasingly promoted to prevent infant death through se... Read More about Babies in boxes and the missing links on safe sleep: Human evolution and cultural revolution.

Sleep and cognitive function in young children (2017)
Journal Article
Robinson-Smith, L., & Ball, H. L. (2017). Sleep and cognitive function in young children. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 5(1), 27-30

The emerging picture from research studies that have attempted to define what ‘normal’ sleep duration might be for young children is that sleep duration is subject to great variability resulting from biological, environmental and social factors. Pare... Read More about Sleep and cognitive function in young children.

Sleep duration and adiposity in early childhood: evidence for bidirectional associations from the Born in Bradford study (2016)
Journal Article
Collings, P., Ball, H., Santorelli, G., West, J., Barber, S., McEachan, R., & Wright, J. (2016). Sleep duration and adiposity in early childhood: evidence for bidirectional associations from the Born in Bradford study. SLEEP, 40(2), https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsw054

Study Objectives: To examine independent associations of sleep duration with total and abdominal adiposity, and the bidirectionality of these associations, in a young bi-ethnic sample of children from a disadvantaged location. Methods: Child sleep du... Read More about Sleep duration and adiposity in early childhood: evidence for bidirectional associations from the Born in Bradford study.

Baby-Lag: Methods for assessing parental tiredness and fatigue (2016)
Book Chapter
Rudzik, A. E., & Ball, H. L. (2016). Baby-Lag: Methods for assessing parental tiredness and fatigue. In L. L. Seivert, & D. E. Brown (Eds.), Biological measures of human experience across the lifespan : making visible the invisible (29-46). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44103-0_3

Altered sleep patterns, inadequate sleep, and fatigue are extremely common among new parents and form a major part of postpartum life. The first months of a new infant’s life are a time of extensive adjustment for families, and the experience of new... Read More about Baby-Lag: Methods for assessing parental tiredness and fatigue.

Early Childhood Pediatric Sleep Concerns for Parents: Co-sleeping (2016)
Book Chapter
Sullivan, S., & Ball, H. (2017). Early Childhood Pediatric Sleep Concerns for Parents: Co-sleeping. In J. Stein (Ed.), Reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-809324-5.00880-4

Of all the sleep-related challenges in infancy and early childhood, none has generated the attention and controversy of co-sleeping. Rates of co-sleeping vary across countries and cultures. While in some studies co-sleeping has been associated with p... Read More about Early Childhood Pediatric Sleep Concerns for Parents: Co-sleeping.

Bi-ethnic infant thermal care beliefs in Bradford, UK (2016)
Journal Article
Cronin-de-Chavez, A., Ball, H. L., & Ward-Platt, M. P. (2016). Bi-ethnic infant thermal care beliefs in Bradford, UK. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 9(2), 120-134. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhrh-06-2015-0019

Purpose – Overheating is considered a modifiable risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The purpose of this paper is to explore differences in infant thermal care beliefs between mothers of South Asian and white British origin in Bradfo... Read More about Bi-ethnic infant thermal care beliefs in Bradford, UK.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (2016)
Book Chapter
Russell, C. K., Volpe, L. E., & Ball, H. L. (2016). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In A. Alvergne, C. Jenkinson, & C. Faurie (Eds.), Evolutionary thinking in medicine : from research to policy and practice (61-74). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29716-3_5

Evolutionary understanding of infant biology emphasises that human newborns have unique needs due to poorly developed neuromuscular capabilities, and physiological vulnerability in the absence of a caregiver. This perspective has been used to critica... Read More about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Bed-sharing by breastfeeding mothers: who bed-shares, and what is the relationship with breastfeeding duration? (2016)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Howell, D., Bryant, A., Best, E., Russell, C., & Ward-Platt, M. (2016). Bed-sharing by breastfeeding mothers: who bed-shares, and what is the relationship with breastfeeding duration?. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child, 105(6), 628-634. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13354

Aim: To explore the link between breastfeeding duration and bed-sharing frequency among women reporting a prenatal intention to breastfeed. Methods: About 870 participants in a randomised breastfeeding trial, recruited at mid-pregnancy, provided week... Read More about Bed-sharing by breastfeeding mothers: who bed-shares, and what is the relationship with breastfeeding duration?.

A qualitative study in parental perceptions and understanding of SIDS-reduction guidance in a UK bi-cultural urban community (2016)
Journal Article
Crane, D., & Ball, H. (2016). A qualitative study in parental perceptions and understanding of SIDS-reduction guidance in a UK bi-cultural urban community. BMC Pediatrics, 16, Article 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-016-0560-7

Background: Differences in both Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rates and infant care practices between white British and South Asians in UK are well known, but research has not yet examined how these two groups understand and implement SIDS-redu... Read More about A qualitative study in parental perceptions and understanding of SIDS-reduction guidance in a UK bi-cultural urban community.

Night-time on a postnatal ward: experiences of mothers, infants, and staff (2015)
Book Chapter
Taylor, C. E., Tully, K. P., & Ball, H. L. (2015). Night-time on a postnatal ward: experiences of mothers, infants, and staff. In F. C. Dykes, & R. Flacking (Eds.), Ethnographic research in maternal and child health (117-140). Routledge

This chapter illustrates an alternative approach to video ethnography, in which video case studies are described alongside semi-structured interview responses to detail night-time challenges of mothers, newborns, and hospital staff on a postnatal war... Read More about Night-time on a postnatal ward: experiences of mothers, infants, and staff.

Exploring maternal perceptions of infant sleep and feeding method among mothers in the United Kingdom: A qualitative focus group study (2015)
Journal Article
Rudzik, A. E., & Ball, H. L. (2016). Exploring maternal perceptions of infant sleep and feeding method among mothers in the United Kingdom: A qualitative focus group study. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20(1), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1798-7

Background In a context with strong rhetorical support for breastfeeding in the health system, yet extremely low rates of breastfeeding after hospital discharge, UK women’s decisions about infant feeding reflect the reality of competing priorities in... Read More about Exploring maternal perceptions of infant sleep and feeding method among mothers in the United Kingdom: A qualitative focus group study.

Infant sleep-related deaths: why do parents take risks? (2015)
Journal Article
Volpe, L. E., & Ball, H. L. (2015). Infant sleep-related deaths: why do parents take risks?. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 100(7), 603-604. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2014-307745

Despite significant reductions in infant sleep-related deaths, they continue to be a leading cause of infant mortality and further reductions have proven difficult to achieve compared with the initial dramatic reductions brought about by Back to Slee... Read More about Infant sleep-related deaths: why do parents take risks?.

The relationship between early life modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity, ethnicity and body mass index at age 3 years: findings from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study (2015)
Journal Article
Fairley, L., Santorelli, G., Lawlor, D. A., Bryant, M., Bhopal, R., Petherick, E. S., …Wright, J. (2015). The relationship between early life modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity, ethnicity and body mass index at age 3 years: findings from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study. BMC obesity, 2(1), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40608-015-0037-5

Background: Many modifiable risk factors in early infancy have been shown to be associated with childhood overweight and obesity. These risk factors have not been studied within children of South Asian origin in the UK. The aims of this paper are to... Read More about The relationship between early life modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity, ethnicity and body mass index at age 3 years: findings from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study.

Bed-sharing, co-sleeping and parent education--a time for change (2015)
Journal Article
Russell, C. K., & Ball, H. L. (2015). Bed-sharing, co-sleeping and parent education--a time for change. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 2(2), 19-20

The past 18 months have seen several notable developments in the world of co-sleeping research, some of which will have far-reaching implications for parents, health-care professionals, policy makers, and volunteers working with parents. This article... Read More about Bed-sharing, co-sleeping and parent education--a time for change.

Maternal accounts of their breast-feeding intent and early challenges after caesarean childbirth (2014)
Journal Article
Tully, K. P., & Ball, H. L. (2014). Maternal accounts of their breast-feeding intent and early challenges after caesarean childbirth. Midwifery, 30(6), 712-719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.10.014

Background: breast-feeding outcomes are often worse after caesarean section compared to vaginal childbirth. Objectives: this study characterises mothers' breast-feeding intentions and their infant feeding experiences after caesarean childbirth. Metho... Read More about Maternal accounts of their breast-feeding intent and early challenges after caesarean childbirth.

Exploring socioeconomic differences in bedtime behaviours and sleep duration in English preschool children (2014)
Journal Article
Jones, C. H., & Ball, H. L. (2014). Exploring socioeconomic differences in bedtime behaviours and sleep duration in English preschool children. Infant and Child Development, 23(5), 518-531. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.1848

Children's sleep is critical for optimal health and development; yet sleep duration has decreased in recent decades, and many children do not have adequate sleep. Certain sleep behaviours (‘sleep hygiene’) are commonly recommended, and there is some... Read More about Exploring socioeconomic differences in bedtime behaviours and sleep duration in English preschool children.

Infant Sleep Development: Location, Feeding and Expectations in the Postnatal Period (2013)
Journal Article
Russell, C., Robinson, L., & Ball, H. (2013). Infant Sleep Development: Location, Feeding and Expectations in the Postnatal Period. The Open sleep journal, 6(Suppl 1), 68-76. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874620901306010068

Coping with sleep disruption is a common difficulty faced by new parents. Here we take a critical, contextual and evolutionary perspective on recent evidence surrounding the development of normal infant sleep in the postnatal period, its relationship... Read More about Infant Sleep Development: Location, Feeding and Expectations in the Postnatal Period.

Could parental rules play a role in the association between short sleep and obesity in young children? (2013)
Journal Article
Jones, C. H., Pollard, T. M., Summerbell, C., & Ball, H. L. (2014). Could parental rules play a role in the association between short sleep and obesity in young children?. Journal of Biosocial Science, 46(3), 405-418. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021932013000291

Short sleep duration is associated with obesity in young children. This study develops the hypothesis that parental rules play a role in this association. Participants were 3-year-old children and their parents, recruited at nursery schools in socioe... Read More about Could parental rules play a role in the association between short sleep and obesity in young children?.

Misrecognition of need : women's experiences of and explanations for undergoing cesarean delivery (2013)
Journal Article
Tully, K., & Ball, H. (2013). Misrecognition of need : women's experiences of and explanations for undergoing cesarean delivery. Social Science & Medicine, 85, 103-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.039

International rates of operative delivery are consistently higher than the World Health Organization determined is appropriate. This suggests that factors other than clinical indications contribute to cesarean section. Data presented here are from in... Read More about Misrecognition of need : women's experiences of and explanations for undergoing cesarean delivery.

Napping in English preschool children and the association with parents’ attitudes (2013)
Journal Article
Jones, C., & Ball, H. (2013). Napping in English preschool children and the association with parents’ attitudes. Sleep Medicine, 14(4), 352-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2012.12.010

Background: Age-independent variability in childrens’ napping duration may be influenced by parental preference and attitudes and childrens’ availability or lack of opportunity to nap. Our study examined English preschool childrens’ napping duration,... Read More about Napping in English preschool children and the association with parents’ attitudes.

Nighttime parenting strategies and sleep-related risks to infants (2013)
Journal Article
Volpe, L., Ball, H., & McKenna, J. (2013). Nighttime parenting strategies and sleep-related risks to infants. Social Science & Medicine, 79, 92-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.043

A large social science and public health literature addresses infant sleep safety, with implications for infant mortality in the context of accidental deaths and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). As part of risk reduction campaigns in the USA, par... Read More about Nighttime parenting strategies and sleep-related risks to infants.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk reduction and infant sleep location: Moving the discussion forward (2013)
Journal Article
Ball, H., & Volpe, L. (2013). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk reduction and infant sleep location: Moving the discussion forward. Social Science & Medicine, 79, 84-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.025

The notion that infant sleep environments are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and that parents who receive appropriate instruction will modify their infant-care habits has been fundamental to SIDS reduction campaigns. However infant sleep location recommendations ha... Read More about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk reduction and infant sleep location: Moving the discussion forward.

Trade-offs underlying maternal breastfeeding decisions: a conceptual model (2013)
Journal Article
Tully, K., & Ball, H. (2013). Trade-offs underlying maternal breastfeeding decisions: a conceptual model. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 9(1), 90-98. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2011.00378.x

This paper presents a new conceptual model that generates predictions about breastfeeding decisions and identifies interactions that affect outcomes. We offer a contextual approach to infant feeding that models multi-directional influences by expandi... Read More about Trade-offs underlying maternal breastfeeding decisions: a conceptual model.

Sleeping with the baby (2012)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2012). Sleeping with the baby

Who sleeps with their baby, and why? More babies bed-share in the first few weeks of life than at any other age. On any given night between 20 and 25% of babies under 3 months of age spend some time sharing a bed with a parent and during their first... Read More about Sleeping with the baby.

Night-time nurturing: an evolutionary perspective on breastfeeding and sleep (2012)
Book Chapter
Ball, H., & Russell, C. (2012). Night-time nurturing: an evolutionary perspective on breastfeeding and sleep. In D. Narváez, J. Panksepp, A. Schore, & T. Gleason (Eds.), Evolution, early experience and human development : from research to practice and policy (241-261). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199755059.003.0014

Consideration of the phylogenetic depth and cross-cultural breadth of mother–infant biology and behavior illuminates contemporary infant care. Three key “ancestral environments” (AEs) have defined the care requirements of newborn humans (lactation, f... Read More about Night-time nurturing: an evolutionary perspective on breastfeeding and sleep.

Postnatal Unit Bassinet Types When Rooming-In After Cesarean Section Birth: Implications for Breastfeeding and Infant Safety (2012)
Journal Article
Tully, K., & Ball, H. (2012). Postnatal Unit Bassinet Types When Rooming-In After Cesarean Section Birth: Implications for Breastfeeding and Infant Safety. Journal of Human Lactation, 28(4), 495-505. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334412452932

Background: Postnatal unit rooming-in promotes breastfeeding. Previous research indicates that side-cars (3-sided bassinets that lock onto the maternal bed frame) facilitate breastfeeding after vaginal birth more than stand-alone bassinets (standard... Read More about Postnatal Unit Bassinet Types When Rooming-In After Cesarean Section Birth: Implications for Breastfeeding and Infant Safety.

Randomised trial of sidecar crib use on breastfeeding duration (NECOT). (2011)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Ward-Platt, M., Howel, D., & Russell, C. (2011). Randomised trial of sidecar crib use on breastfeeding duration (NECOT). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 96(7), 630-634. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.205344

Objective To determine whether the use of sidecar cribs on the postnatal ward affects breastfeeding duration. Design A randomised non-blinded parallel trial comparing sidecar cribs with standalone cots. Setting Postnatal wards of the Royal Victoria I... Read More about Randomised trial of sidecar crib use on breastfeeding duration (NECOT)..

Airway covering during bed-sharing (2009)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2009). Airway covering during bed-sharing. Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(5), 728-737. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00979.x

Background Parent–infant bed-sharing is a common practice in Western post-industrial nations with up to 50% of infants sleeping with their parents at some point during early infancy. However, researchers have claimed that infants may be at risk of su... Read More about Airway covering during bed-sharing.

Practices, advice and support regarding prolonged breastfeeding: a descriptive study from Sri Lanka (2008)
Journal Article
van den Berg, M., & Ball, H. L. (2008). Practices, advice and support regarding prolonged breastfeeding: a descriptive study from Sri Lanka. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 26(3), 229-243. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830701691376

Practice and duration of breastfeeding were examined in relation to traditional practices and modern recommendations on infant care in Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 60 Sri Lankan mothers whose youngest child was 0.5-4 yea... Read More about Practices, advice and support regarding prolonged breastfeeding: a descriptive study from Sri Lanka.

Together or apart? A behavioural and physiological investigation of sleeping arrangements for twin babies (2007)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L. (2007). Together or apart? A behavioural and physiological investigation of sleeping arrangements for twin babies. Midwifery, 23(4), 404-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2006.07.004

Objective the pros and cons of co-bedding for healthy twin babies on the postnatal ward and in the home are issues with which midwives need to be familiar; however, little objective research has been conducted on which to base policies and recommenda... Read More about Together or apart? A behavioural and physiological investigation of sleeping arrangements for twin babies.

Mother–Infant Cosleeping, Breastfeeding and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What Biological Anthropology Has Discovered About Normal Infant Sleep and Pediatric Sleep Medicine (2007)
Journal Article
McKenna, J. J., Ball, H. L., & Gettler, L. T. (2007). Mother–Infant Cosleeping, Breastfeeding and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What Biological Anthropology Has Discovered About Normal Infant Sleep and Pediatric Sleep Medicine. American journal of physical anthropology, 134(S45), 133-161. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20736

Twenty years ago a new area of inquiry was launched when anthropologists proposed that an evolutionary perspective on infancy could contribute to our understanding of unexplained infant deaths. Here we review two decades of research examining parent–... Read More about Mother–Infant Cosleeping, Breastfeeding and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What Biological Anthropology Has Discovered About Normal Infant Sleep and Pediatric Sleep Medicine.

Breastfeeding and mother-infant sleep proximity: implications for infant care (2007)
Book Chapter
Ball, H., & Klingaman, K. (2007). Breastfeeding and mother-infant sleep proximity: implications for infant care. In W. Trevathan, E. Smith, & J. McKenna (Eds.), Evolutionary medicine and health : new perspectives (226-241). (2nd). Oxford University Press

Research into mother–infant cosleeping with breastfeeding represents a relatively new area for behavioral and physiological investigation inspired by evolutionary thinking. This topic within the evolutionary medicine rubric might well be the furthest... Read More about Breastfeeding and mother-infant sleep proximity: implications for infant care.

Bed-sharing practices of initially breastfed infants in the first 6 months of life (2007)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L. (2007). Bed-sharing practices of initially breastfed infants in the first 6 months of life. Infant and Child Development, 16(4), 387-401. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.519

This paper explores the manner in which bed-sharing is practised by breastfeeding infants in the UK, and examines how alternate definitions and interpretations of breastfeeding and bed-sharing can lead to confusion in understanding what bed-sharing e... Read More about Bed-sharing practices of initially breastfed infants in the first 6 months of life.

Anthropology of caesarean section birth and breastfeeding: Rationale for evolutionary medicine on the postnatal ward (2007)
Journal Article
Klingaman, K., & Ball, H. (2007). Anthropology of caesarean section birth and breastfeeding: Rationale for evolutionary medicine on the postnatal ward. Durham anthropology journal, 14(1),

Investigating biology and behaviour in the context of evolution enables the public, scientists and medical professionals to better understand the impact of particular medical care on human physiology and emotions. Evolutionary medicine is a useful st... Read More about Anthropology of caesarean section birth and breastfeeding: Rationale for evolutionary medicine on the postnatal ward.

Randomised trial of infant sleep location on the postnatal ward (2006)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Ward-Platt, M., Heslop, E., Leech, S., & Brown, K. (2006). Randomised trial of infant sleep location on the postnatal ward. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 91(12), 1005-1010. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2006.099416

Objective: To determine whether postnatal mother–infant sleep proximity affects breastfeeding initiation and infant safety. Design: Randomised non-blinded trial analysed by intention to treat. Setting: Postnatal wards of the Royal Victoria Hospital (... Read More about Randomised trial of infant sleep location on the postnatal ward.

Caring for twin infants: sleeping arrangements and their implications (2006)
Journal Article
Ball, H. L. (2006). Caring for twin infants: sleeping arrangements and their implications. Evidence Based Midwifery, 4(1), 10-16

Aim. The study aimed to assess sleeping arrangements used by parents for twin infants and to determine what information might be useful for health professionals and parents regarding twin infant sleep. Method. A self-selected sample of 60 families re... Read More about Caring for twin infants: sleeping arrangements and their implications.

Bed-sharing on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding and infant sleep safety (2006)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2006). Bed-sharing on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding and infant sleep safety. Paediatrics and Child Health, 11(Supplement SA), 43A-46A

Many hospitals make a commitment to institute 'baby-friendly' initiatives on post-natal wards. Bed sharing (bedding-in) is one of these initiatives. By allowing mothers to comfort, feed and care for their babies in bed, bed sharing may assist the est... Read More about Bed-sharing on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding and infant sleep safety.

Parent-Infant Bed-sharing Behavior: effects of feeding type, and presence of father (2006)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2006). Parent-Infant Bed-sharing Behavior: effects of feeding type, and presence of father. Human Nature, 17(3), 301-318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-006-1011-1

An evolutionarily informed perspective on parent-infant sleep contact challenges recommendations regarding appropriate parent-infant sleep practices based on large epidemiological studies. In this study regularly bed-sharing parents and infants parti... Read More about Parent-Infant Bed-sharing Behavior: effects of feeding type, and presence of father.

Bedding-in and Rooming-in on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding initiation (2005)
Conference Proceeding
Heslop, E., Ball, H., & Leech, S. (2005). Bedding-in and Rooming-in on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding initiation. In L. P. J. J. Noldus, F. Grieco, L. W. S. Loijens, & P. H. Zimmerman (Eds.), Proceedings of Measuring Behavior 2005 : 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research (504-505)

Hospitals making a commitment to the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative adopt a number of practices to help increase breastfeeding initiation rates. Allowing mothers and their infants uninterrupted skin to skin contact for at least the first 30 minut... Read More about Bedding-in and Rooming-in on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding initiation.

Observing mother-infant sleep behaviour (2005)
Conference Proceeding
Ball, H. L., Volpe, L. E., Heslop, E., & Leech, S. J. (2005). Observing mother-infant sleep behaviour. In L. P. J. J. Noldus, F. Grieco, L. W. S. Loijens, & P. H. Zimmerman (Eds.), Proceedings of Measuring Behavior 2005 : 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research (668-670)

Research teams from the Parent-Infant Sleep Lab at Durham University, UK, and the Mother-Baby Sleep Lab at Notre Dame University, USA both study mother-infant sleep behavior and night-time care-giving and utilise The Observer® Video Pro 5.0 (Noldus I... Read More about Observing mother-infant sleep behaviour.

The prevalence and characteristics associated with parent–infant bed-sharing in England (2004)
Journal Article
Blair, P., & Ball, H. (2004). The prevalence and characteristics associated with parent–infant bed-sharing in England. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 89(12), 1106-1110. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2003.038067

Aims: To investigate the characteristics of parent–infant bed-sharing prevalence in England. Methods: Data on night-time sleeping practices from a two year, local, longitudinal study and a three-year, national, cross-sectional study were obtained. A... Read More about The prevalence and characteristics associated with parent–infant bed-sharing in England.

'New' practice of bedsharing and risk of SIDS (letter). (2004)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Blair, P., & Ward-Platt, M. (2004). 'New' practice of bedsharing and risk of SIDS (letter). The Lancet, 363(9420), https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736%2804%2916171-0

In commenting on the paper by R G Carpenter and co-workers,1 David Tappin and colleagues (Mar 20, p 994)2 claim parent-infant bedsharing to be a “new practice”, and urge caution in “tampering with our own culturally derived infant care practices”. Bu... Read More about 'New' practice of bedsharing and risk of SIDS (letter)..

Breastfeeding, bed-sharing and infant sleep (2003)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2003). Breastfeeding, bed-sharing and infant sleep. Birth, 30(3), 181-188. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-536x.2003.00243.x

Background: Expectations for infant sleep development and for the appropriate degree of parental proximity for infant sleep are culturally weighted and historically shifting aspects of parenting behavior, and are known to affect breastfeeding prevale... Read More about Breastfeeding, bed-sharing and infant sleep.

Reasons to bed-share: why parents sleep with their infants (2002)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2002). Reasons to bed-share: why parents sleep with their infants. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 20(4), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/0264683021000033147

The pros and cons of parent-infant bed-sharing have been hotly debated in both the academic and professional literature concerning infant health and early parenting. Much of the debate has focused on data from the US, and little research has examined... Read More about Reasons to bed-share: why parents sleep with their infants.

Triadic bed-sharing and infant temperature. (2002)
Journal Article
Ball, H. (2002). Triadic bed-sharing and infant temperature. Child: Care, Health and Development, 28(Supplement s1), 55-58. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00015.x

The effects on infants of sleeping with their parents is currently the subject of much debate. One concern regarding infants who sleep in their parents’ bed involves the possibility of overheating. Previous research reported a significantly greater c... Read More about Triadic bed-sharing and infant temperature..

Babies and Infants Bed-Sharing. (2000)
Book Chapter
Ball, H. (2000). Babies and Infants Bed-Sharing. In R. C. O. Midwives (Ed.), Midwifery Practice in the Post-natal Period (24-26). Royal College of Midwifes

Parent-Infant Cosleeping: fathers' roles and perspectives (2000)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Hooker, E., & Kelly, P. (2000). Parent-Infant Cosleeping: fathers' roles and perspectives. Infant and Child Development, 9(2), 67-74. https://doi.org/10.1002/1522-7219%28200006%299%3A2%3C67%3A%3Aaid-icd209%3E3.0.co%3B2-7

Dyadic co-sleeping (mother-baby) is a common strategy for night-time infant care in the majority of world cultures. Triadic co-sleeping (mother-father-baby) is less common, although still widely practised cross-culturally. This paper examines triadic... Read More about Parent-Infant Cosleeping: fathers' roles and perspectives.

Where will the baby sleep? Attitudes and practices of new and experienced parents regarding cosleeping with their new-born infants (1999)
Journal Article
Ball, H., Hooker, E., & Kelly, P. (1999). Where will the baby sleep? Attitudes and practices of new and experienced parents regarding cosleeping with their new-born infants. American Anthropologist, 101(1), 143-151. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1999.101.1.143

An evolutionary perspective on human infant sleep physiology suggests that parent-infant cosleeping, practiced under safe conditions, might be beneficial to both mothers and infants. However, cosleeping is not part of mainstream parenting ideology in... Read More about Where will the baby sleep? Attitudes and practices of new and experienced parents regarding cosleeping with their new-born infants.