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Research project

Common Infant Symptoms

Project overview

In the first year of life, babies commonly experience symptoms such as crying or vomiting. Such symptoms may have an underlying medical cause but are usually self-limiting and can be viewed as part of 'normal' baby behaviour. Baby crying, vomiting or other symptoms such as food aversion may be given a diagnostic label of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) or gastro-oesophageal reflux, which can cause unintended harms and is associated with significant resource use for the NHS. There has been a huge increase in prescribing for specialised formula milk and anti-reflux medicine without any evidence of rising prevalence, suggestive of over-diagnosis and overprescribing.

We want to chat to parents of babies who have had any or multiple common symptoms (such as the symptoms listed below) when they were less than 4 months old, even if they have never consulted a GP or a nurse about this. We would also like to speak to parents who have considered Cow’s Milk Allergy, Reflux or Colic (whether or not they have received a diagnosis of this).

Local Investigator(s): Dr Ingrid Muller

Study team: Samantha Hornsey

Co-applicants:
Dr Miriam Santer, Dr Daniela Ghio, Dr Elizabeth Lovegrove, Kate Sykes
Collaborators: Dr Robert Boyle

Contact: I.Muller@soton.ac.uk 

Staff

Lead researcher

Dr Ingrid Muller BSc, MSc, PhD, CPsychol, FHEA

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Self-management of long-term conditions
  • Behavioural health interventions
  • Digital health
Connect with Ingrid

Email: I.Muller@soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Dr Samantha Hornsey BSc MSc PhD CPsychol

Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Sleep problems 
  • Child and family health
  • Behavioural health interventions
Connect with Samantha

Email: S.J.Hornsey@soton.ac.uk

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Primary Care Research Centre

We are an internationally renowned centre of excellence known for conducting high-quality research to improve people’s lives. We inform and enhance evidence based primary health care in the UK and around the world.