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Professor Helen Ball's Outputs (126)

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.