We usually run mutliple research projects every year. Projects that are actively recruiting for participants are announced on our social media pages. Information about ongoing projects, and reports from recently completed projects can be found below. Information about older research projects can be found via our publications page.
Funded by the Lullaby Trust and Teddy's Wish, this project will firstly involve a systematic review (an analysis of the academic and clinical literature) to look for existing information on the benefits and risks associated with slings and baby carriers, and the motivations people have for using them.
We will then survey UK parents to gather information on how slings and baby carriers are used, parents' knowledge of sling safety, and awareness of guidance/sources of information.
We will critically evaluate sources of sling/carrier safety information referenced by parents in the online survey using a standard tool to compare completeness, clarity, consistency and credibility. Finally, using the information gathered, we will consider how a future campaign might approach the topic of safe sling/carrier use and what messages/approaches could be included.
Contacts:
This project co-produced, piloted, evaluated and disseminated learning from a multi-agency workforce training and implementation programme for SUDI prevention in County Durham in collaboration with local authority public health leads, vulnerable and low-income family facing services, local Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), key NHS staff, and third sector partners. The project was funded by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for the North East and North Cumbria (NENC).
The full report on the Eyes on the Baby Report for County Durham can be downloaded here.
We have also published two peer-reviewed articles:
Helen L Ball, Alice-Amber Keegan, Daniel R Whitehouse, Louise S Cooper, Sophie R Lovell-Kennedy, Laura M Murray, Dorothy Newbury-Birch, Nicola J Cleghorn, Amanda Healy - Multiagency approaches to preventing sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI): a review and analysis of UK policies: BMJ Public Health 2023;1:e000017.
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
Further information can be found at:
For more information contact eyes.on.the.baby@durham.ac.uk
Following on from our previous SUDI prevention project in County Durham the Northumberland SUDI Prevention Project allowed us to conduct a full-scale implementation and evaluation of a multi-agency working training and implementation programme for SUDI prevention in Northumberland. Over 1000 staff participated across a wide range of partners, and provided valuable feedback on their learning and implementation journeys. The project was implemented in collaboration with local authority public health leads, vulnerable and low-income family facing services, family hubs, key NHS staff, and third sector partners.
The full report on the Eyes on the Baby Report for Northumberland can be downloaded here.
We have submitted a peer reviewed article for publication which is currently under review.
For more information contact: eyes.on.the.baby@durham.ac.uk
In 2023-2025, we collaborated with Amma, a birth companions charity in Glasgow, to research the experiences of babies and carers living in dispersed asylum accommodation in Glasgow. We recruited and trained a team of community researchers (existing members of the Amma community) to recruit participants and helps them share their stories via a combination of interviews and focus groups that captured qualitative data on the experiences of those living in dispersed accommodation. We hope that this research, along with wider evidence, can be used to inform policy and practice, improve services, and ultimately keep babies and their families safe in temporary and asylum accommodation.
The report for this project is entitled: "We don't ask for a luxury life": The health, safety and well-being of babies and their mothers in dispersal asylum accommodation in the UK, can be downloaded here.
For more information contact infancy.sleep.centre@durham.ac.uk
A peer-reviewed article co-authored with the Amma community research team is now available as an open access publication: Lovell-Kennedy S, Grieve LM, Shemery S, Mufara V, Lerkins T, Umanhonlen B, Tamami S, Abdilahi F, Purdey A, Ball HL. (2025) ‘We don’t ask for a luxury life, just basic things’: the experiences of mothers with babies in the UK asylum system. Wellbeing, Space and Society. Vol 8 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2025.100264
Sleep, Baby & You is a intervention programme for supporting parents with sleep for themselves and their babies. The programme provides tools and training for practitioners and resources for parents that were field-tested in Newcastle, Northumbria, Hartlepool & Derbyshire NHS Trusts, and are now being implemented across the UK.
Sleep, Baby & You is an adaptation of the Possums Sleep Program (Brisbane, Australia) designed by GP Dr Pamela Douglas (NDC Institute & Possums) for use in the UK in community settings. Sleep, Baby & You by Professor Helen Ball & Dr Catherine Taylor (Durham University), Dr Pam Douglas (NDC Institute & Possums), and Dr Vicky Thomas (Great North Children's Hospital). Artwork has been created by LDi Studios, Sunderland, UK. Funding for the development of Sleep, Baby & You was provided by an ESRC Impact Award to Professor Helen Ball and Durham University.
The results of the Sleep, Baby & You evaluation study are published here: 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
The Sleep Baby & You intervention programme is offered for individual practitioners via Dr Pam's website. Groups of more than 10 UK practitioners can sign up for the same programme delivered via the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre. The programme offers identical online learning and resources. The UK version offers an optional group discussion with Professor Helen Ball to embed learning into practice. See UK Sleep Baby & You Intervention Programme.
Swaddling is a global infant-care practice in which a piece of material is wrapped firmly around an infant’s body, thought to pacify the infant. This PhD project by Dr Allison Dixley aimed to understand the practice of swaddling from a holistic perspective with a view to addressing several knowledge deficits.
Publications:
Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2023). The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review. American Journal of Human Biology, e23878. 10.1002/ajhb.23878
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, 1000180. 10.3389/fped.2022.1000180
Full thesis available here.
Read the LTAS Final Report here
View intervention materials
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