Discussing Infant Sleep with Helen Ball, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre, who is one of the members of the LLLGB Panel of Professional Advisors

In this episode by La Leche League (LLL)GB, volunteer breastfeeding counsellors Sarah Fletcher and Maria Yasnova discuss the pressing and sensitive subject for many families, Infant Sleep, with Dr Helen Ball, one of LLLGB’s professional advisors. Dr Ball’s work focuses on conducting and translation of academic research on infant sleep into evidence for use by parents and healthcare staff via Basis-- the Baby Sleep Information Source website. She serves as Associate Editor of the journal Sleep Health, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Human Lactation. She is Chair of the Lullaby Trust Scientific Committee, and an elected Board Member of the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Infant Deaths (ISPID). In 2013 Helen received an award for Outstanding Impact in Society from the Economic and Social Research Council, and in 2018 Durham University was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for her research and outreach on parent-infant sleep. The episode discusses sleep in the context of infants’ normal development and needs as well as from the social and cultural perspective. It examines latest Public Health Guidelines pertaining to safe bed-sharing and offers support to parents coping with their infant’s and their own sleep needs in the modern world. The discussion aims to empower and support families wishing to maintain responsive breastfeeding overnight while getting as much rest as possible and looks at how our biology supports this. A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed and the listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding and sleep support and information is needed. LLL GB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parent to parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research. Episode Notes: For breastfeeding support and information please visit: www.laleche.org.uk For more information on Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre and Basis please visit: https://www.basisonline.org.uk Sweet Sleep book by LLLGB mentioned by Sarah in the episode: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p89/SweetSleep.html Further resources on infant sleep from LLLGB: https://laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/ https://laleche.org.uk/supporting-families-sleep/ https://laleche.org.uk/sleep-breastfed-baby/ https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/ https://laleche.org.uk/i-need-some-sleep/ https://laleche.org.uk/bedsharing-breastfeeding-risk-sids/ https://laleche.org.uk/letting-babies-cry-facts-behind-studies/