Staff profile

Helen Ball is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre. She obtained her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1992.

Helen studies infant sleep and the parent-infant sleep relationship from a biosocial perspective. Broadly defined, her research examines sleep ecology, of infants, young children and their parents. This encompasses attitudes and practices regarding infant sleep, behavioural and physiological monitoring of infants and their parents during sleep, infant sleep development, and the discordance between cultural sleep preferences and biological sleep needs.

Helen has conducted research in hospitals and the community, and contributes to national and international policy and practice guidelines on infant care. She pioneers the translation of academic research on infant sleep into evidence for use by parents and healthcare staff via Basis-- the Baby Sleep Information Source website (www.basisonline.org.uk). She serves as Associate Editor of the journal Sleep Health, and is on the Ediotial Board of the Journal of Human Lactation. She is Chair of the Lullaby Trust Scientific Committe, 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.

Queen's Anniversary Prize

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have presented the UK’s highest academic honour to Durham University for research that has helped to shape the way babies sleep and how parents care for them at night time.

At the awards ceremony at Buckingham Palace, similar to an investiture, the Royal couple awarded The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education to the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Corbridge, and Professor Helen Ball, Director of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre, with the University’s Chancellor, Sir Thomas Allen, in attendance.

The prize has been awarded to Durham University for ‘leading influential research on parent-infant sleep with a widely-used public information service’. The awards, part of the national honours system in the UK, are approved by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister from recommendations made by the Royal Anniversary Trust’s Awards Council.

• Infant Sleep Safety, Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), SIDS
• Relationship of sleeping and infant feeding methods
• Videosomnography of parent-infant sleep
• Integration of evolutionary and socio-cultural perspectives on anthropology of infant sleep
• Coping with infant-related sleep disruption -- effects on parents
• Development of sleep patterns and circadian rhythms
• Parenting, infant care, infant feeding, infant mortality
• Evolutionary medicine

• 2020: Associate Editor, Sleep Health, Journal of the US National Sleep Foundation:
• 2019: Elected Board Member of ISPID - International Society for the Study & Prevention of Infant Deaths:
• 2018: Queen's Anniversary Prize Winner:
• 2016: Appointed Chair, Lullaby Trust Scientific Committee:
• 2014: National Institute for Health & Care Excellence -- Panel Member: Topic specific member for Clinical Guidance Update: Postnatal Care -- Cosleeping and SIDS (CG37). 2013-14
• 2013: ESRC Celebrating Impact Award - Outstanding Impact In Society: Award for Outstanding Impact in the Community from Economic and Social Research Council.
• 2011: Appointed to Editorial Board, Journal of Human Lactation:
• 2011: Durham University Award for Excellence in Doctoral Supervision:
• 2010: Appointed to ESRC Peer Review College:
• 2006: Healthy Children Award (US) for Research: Award for contribution to breastfeeding research from Healthy Children (US), presented Jan 15th 2006, Orlando, Florida

Chapter in book

• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2019). Breastfeeding and infant sleep--what medical practitioners need to know. In A. Brown, & W. Jones (Eds.), A Guide to Supporting Breastfeeding for the Medical Profession. Routledge
• Tully, K. P., & Ball, H. L. (2018). Understanding and enabling breastfeeding in the context of maternal-infant needs. In C. Tomori, A. Palmquist, & E. Quinn (Eds.), Breastfeeding : new anthropological approaches (199-211). Routledge
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Jones, C., & Ball, H. (2012). Medical Anthropology and Children’s Sleep: The Mismatch between Western Lifestyles and Sleep Physiology. In A. Green, & A. Westcombe (Eds.), Sleep : multi-professional perspectives (86-103). Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Ball, H. (2008). Evolutionary Paediatrics: a case study in applying Darwinian Medicine. In S. Elton, & P. O'Higgins (Eds.), Medicine and evolution : current applications, future prospects (127-152). Taylor and Francis
• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2006). Night-time infant care: cultural practice, evolution, and infant development. In P. Liamputtong (Ed.), Childrearing and infant care issues : a cross-cultural perspective (47-61). Nova Science Publishers
• Ball, H. L., & Panter-Brick, C. (2001). Child survival and the modulation of parental investment. In P. Ellison (Ed.), Reproductive ecology and human evolution (249-266). Aldine de Gruyter
• 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
• Ball, H., Hooker, E., & Kelly, P. (2000). Where will the baby sleep? Attitudes and practices of new and experienced parents regarding cosleeping with their newborn infants. In E. Junn, & C. Boyatzis (Eds.), Annual Editions: Child Growth and Development. Dushkin/McGraw Hill
• Ball, H., & Hill, C. (1998). Parental manipulation of post-natal survival and well-being -- are parental sex preferences adaptive?. In T. Pollard, & S. Hyatt (Eds.), Sex, Gender and Health (143-151). Cambridge University Press
• Swedlund, A., & Ball, H. (1998). Nature, Nurture, and the determinates of Childhood Mortality: A case study from Massachusetts, 1830-1920. In A. Goodman, & T. Leatherman (Eds.), Building a New Biocultural Synthesis: Political-Economic and Critical Perspectives on Human Biology (191-228). University of Michigan Press

Conference Paper

• Heslop, E., Ball, H., & Leech, S. (2023, August). Bedding-in and Rooming-in on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding initiation. Presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 : 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
• Ball, H. L., Volpe, L. E., Heslop, E., & Leech, S. J. (2023, August). Observing mother-infant sleep behaviour. Presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 : 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, Wageningen, Netherlans
• Ball, H., & Hooker, E. (1998, December). You wanna put a camera in our bedroom? Video observations of parent-infant cosleeping in the home environment. Presented at Measuring Behaviour 98, Groningen, NL
• Ball, H., & Hooker, E. (1998, December). What happens to infants who sleep with their parents?. Presented at American Association of Physical Anthropology Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah

Journal Article

• Klingaman (now Tully), K., & Ball, H. (online). Practicing evolutionary medicine in a postnatal ward: Ameliorating iatrogenic obstacles to breastfeeding. Anthropology News,
• 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, 33(4), Article e2501. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2501
• Renz-Polster, H., Blair, P. S., Ball, H. L., Jenni, O. G., & De Bock, F. (2024). Death from Failed Protection? An Evolutionary-Developmental Theory of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Human Nature, 35(2), 153-196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-024-09474-6
• 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
• Ball, H. L., Grieve, L. M., Keegan, A.-A., Cooper, L., Lovell-Kennedy, S., Newbury-Birch, D., Cleghorn, N., & 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
• 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
• Ball, H. L., Keegan, A.-A., Whitehouse, D. R., Cooper, L. S., Lovell-Kennedy, S. R., Murray, L. M., Newbury-Birch, D., Cleghorn, N. J., & 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
• 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
• Blair, P. S., Ball, H. L., Pease, A., & Fleming, P. J. (2023). Bed-sharing and SIDS: an evidence-based approach. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 108(4), https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-323469
• 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
• Zimmerman, D., Bartick, M., Feldman-Winter, L., Ball, H. L., Stehel, E., Noble, L., Bartick, M. C., Bettinelli, M. E., Kair, L., Larson, I., LeFort, Y., Marshall, N., Mitchell, K., Okogbule-Wonodi, A., Rothenberg, S., Seo, T., Szugye, H., Weissman, G., Wight, N., & Young, M. (2023). ABM Clinical Protocol #37: Physiological Infant Care—Managing Nighttime Breastfeeding in Young Infants. Breastfeeding Medicine, 18(3), https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2023.29236.abm
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Bartick, M., Young, M., Louis-Jaques, A., McKenna, J. J., & Ball Helen, L. (2022). Bedsharing may partially explain the reduced risk of sleep-related death in breastfed infants. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.1081028
• Ball, H. L., & Keegan, A.-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
• Teti, D. M., Ball, H. L., & Tikotzky, L. (2022). “Sleep and the family system”—A preface. Sleep Health, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2021.12.004
• 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
• 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, Article 770262. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.770262
• 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
• Rudzik, A. E., & Ball, H. L. (2021). Biologically normal sleep in the mother‐infant dyad. American Journal of Human Biology, 33(5), Article e23589. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23589
• 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
• Ball, H. L., & Keegan, A.-A. (2021). The impact of breastfeeding on mother-baby sleep -- addressing popular myths. Laktation und Stillen, 33(3), 4-8
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2019). About Research: Conducting Online Surveys. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(3), 413-417. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419848734
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. (2017). The Atlantic Divide: contrasting U.K. & U.S. recommendations on cosleeping and bed-sharing. Journal of Human Lactation, 33(4), 765-769. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334417713943
• Ball, H. L. (2017). Evolution-informed maternal-infant health. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 1(3), Article 0073. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0073
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2015). Empowering families to make informed choices about sleep safety. British Journal of Midwifery, 23(3), 164-165. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2015.23.3.164
• Ball, H. L. (2015). The BMJ illustrates hazardous co-sleeping. BMJ, 350, Article h993. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h993
• Fairley, L., Santorelli, G., Lawlor, D. A., Bryant, M., Bhopal, R., Petherick, E. S., Sahota, P., Greenwood, D. C., Hill, A. J., Cameron, N., Ball, H. L., Barber, 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
• 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
• Russell, C. K., Whitmore, M., Burrows, D., & Ball, H. L. (2015). Where might my baby sleep? Design and evaluation of a novel discussion tool for parent education. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 2(2), 11-15
• Ball, H., & Russell, C. (2014). SIDS & Infant Sleep Ecology. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 2014(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eou023
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2014). Reframing what we tell parents about normal infant sleep and how we support them. Breastfeeding review, 22(3), 11-12
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. (2013). Supporting parents who are worried about their newborn’s sleep. BMJ, 346, Article f2344. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f2344
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Howel, D., & Ball, H. L. (2013). Association between Length of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Subsequent Breastfeeding Continuation. Journal of Human Lactation, 29(4), 579-585. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334413492908
• Ball, H. L., & Russell, C. K. (2013). Effect of behavioural-educational intervention on sleep for primiparous women and their infants in early postpartum: multisite randomised controlled trial. Student, 346, https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.f3351
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H., Moya, E., Fairley, L., Westman, J., Oddie, S., & Wright, J. (2012). Bed and sofa-sharing practices in a UK biethnic population. Pediatrics, 129(3), e673-e681. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-1964
• Ball, H. (2012). The latest on bed-sharing and breastfeeding. Community practitioner, 85(1), 29-31
• Ball, H. (2012). Sleeping with the baby
• Ball, H., Moya, E., Fairley, L., Westman, J., Oddie, S., & Wright, J. (2012). Infant care practices related to sudden infants death syndrome in South Asian and White British families in the UK. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 26(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3016.2011.01217.x
• Russell, C., Howel, D., Ward-Platt, M., & Ball, H. (2012). Use of interactive telephone technology for longitudinal data collection in a large trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 33, 364-368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2011.10.012
• 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
• Ball, H. (2009). Bed-sharing and co-sleeping: Research overview. New digest, 48, 22-27
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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),
• 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
• 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
• Ball, H. L. (2006). Caring for twin infants: sleeping arrangements and their implications. Evidence Based Midwifery, 4(1), 10-16
• Ball, H. (2006). Bed-sharing on the post-natal ward: breastfeeding and infant sleep safety. Paediatrics and Child Health, 11(Supplement SA), 43A-46A
• Wailoo, M., Ball, H., Fleming, P., & Ward-Platt, M. (2004). Infants bed-sharing with mothers: helpful, harmful or don't we know?. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 89(12), 1082-1083. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2004.054312
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Hooker, E., Ball, H., & Kelly, P. (2000). Sleeping like a baby: parent-infant cosleeping in North Tees, England. Medical Anthropology, 19, 203-222. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2001.9966176
• 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
• Ball, H., & Hill, C. (1998). Insurance ovulation, embryo mortality and twinning. Journal of Biosocial Science, 31(2), 245-255
• Ball, H. (1997). Daddy’s girl? Anomalous social rank of a female rhesus macaque. Folia Primatologica, 68(44-49),
• Hill, C., & Ball, H. (1996). Abnormal Births & Other Ill-Omens: The adaptive case for Infanticide. Human Nature, 7(4), 381-402
• Ball, H., & Swedlund, A. (1996). Poor Women and Bad Mothers: placing the blame for turn-of-the-century infant mortality
• Ball, H., & Hill, C. (1996). Twin Infanticide Revisited. Current Anthropology, 37(5), 856-863. https://doi.org/10.1086/204569
• Hauser, M., Perry, S., Manson, J., Ball, H., Williams, M., Pearson, E., & Berard, J. (1991). It's all in the hands of the beholder: new data on free ranging rhesus monkeys. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 14(2), 342-343. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00067005

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• Ball, H. L. (2021). Is the sleep of normal babies the same as 'normal infant sleep'?

Other (Print)

• Ball, H. L. (2018). The Infant Sleep Myth
• Ball, H. (2002). Bed-sharing Research in Britain
• Ward-Platt, M., & Ball, H. (2002). Rooming-in at the Hospital: Assessing the Practical Considerations
• Blair, P., Fleming, P., Ball, H., & Ward-Platt, M. (2001). Surprised by publication (letter)
• Ball, H. (1992). Reproductive Reform and Ideology of Women

Report

• Ball, H. (2002). Risks to infants of sharing the parental bed: a physiological & behavioural study. [No known commissioning body]
• Ball, H., Hooker, E., & Heslop, E. (2000). Night-time caregiving and parent-infant sleep strategies in the North East of England. [No known commissioning body]