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Amy Brown

Professor of Child Public Health, Swansea University

A psychologist by background, Amy explores psychological, social and cultural influences upon maternal and infant health and wellbeing through pregnancy, birth and the early years.

Amy specialises in research around how babies are fed; whether they are breast or formula fed, how they are introduced to solid foods, and the impact these decisions could have on their long term eating behaviour and weight. In particular, her research focusses on why feeding babies is a public health issue, affected heavily by societal and cultural beliefs and behaviours, and therefore why responsibility for feeding should not lie solely with the mother. Her research seeks to develop interventions to improve infant feeding choices targeted at wider society rather than individual mothers alone.

Amy has a particular interest in how societal perceptions and understanding of normal baby behaviour can affect how babies are fed and cared for in their early months. She seeks to tackle myths around the 'good baby' who sleeps and needs little interaction, and instead promote better support and value for new parents in order for them to have more space to care responsively for their baby and their needs. She has developed a series of animations based on here research findings to help share messages about what is normal for babies, and how we can better support parents
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoflLgxNjBdyr7i2Zx-ArwTEU2PwXWgf4

Finally, Amy's research examines influences on maternal mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy, birth and the early years. She has published papers exploring the interaction between birth and infant feeding and subsequent maternal well being (including postnatal depression, maternal identity and parenting confidence). She has also examined how messages in baby care books, social media, and parenting forums can improve or damage maternal wellbeing in the early years.

Amy is author to two infant feeding books both published by Pinter and Martin.

Breastfeeding Uncovered: Who really decides how we feed our babies
http://www.pinterandmartin.com/breastfeeding-uncovered.html

Why Starting Solids Matters
http://www.pinterandmartin.com/why-starting-solids-matters.html

Baby formula preparation machines might not reach NHS recommended temperatures for killing bacteria – new research

Oct 06, 2023 06:53 am UTC| Health

When you have a new baby, it can feel as though there are suddenly thousands of things to worry about. One of the biggest concerns for parents in the early weeks is feeding. Our new study has raised questions about one...

Sleep-training and babies: why 'crying it out' is best avoided

Nov 19, 2019 02:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

A full nights sleep will be near the top of many parents wish lists. Sleep deprivation is no fun and many parents find themselves turning to baby care books that promise to train their child to sleep through the...

Some baby care books are giving advice that goes against safe infant care guidelines

Jul 07, 2019 15:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Becoming a new parent can be one of the most stressful things you ever do. Its normal to feel blindsided between what you thought it would be like, and the reality. But it can lead to all sorts of emotions from panic and...

Promoting but not protecting breastfeeding is destroying mothers' mental health

Oct 09, 2018 13:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

If you believed some newspapers you would think that breastfeeding was inherently bad for maternal mental health. Headlines regularly shout about pressure to breastfeed and breastfeeding bullies making mums feel anxious...

Economy

Taiwan Stock Market Ends Higher as Semiconductor and Energy Shares Lead Gains

Taiwan stocks closed higher on Thursday, supported by broad-based gains across key sectors including semiconductors, oil, gas and electricity, as well as construction. The Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index finished the...

BOJ Governor Signals Gradual Rate Hikes as Japan’s Inflation Nears 2% Target

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Japans underlying inflation is steadily accelerating and moving closer to the central banks long-standing 2% target, reinforcing expectations that interest rate hikes will continue if...

UBS Warns of Short-Term Risks as Precious Metals Rally to Record Highs

Gold, silver, and platinum have surged to fresh record highs heading into the year-end holiday period, drawing strong attention across global commodity markets. However, UBS is urging investors to exercise caution, warning...

Japan Revises Economic Growth Forecast as Stimulus Fuels Consumption and Investment

Japans government has revised upward its economic growth forecast for the fiscal year ending next March and projected faster expansion in the following year, citing the positive impact of a large-scale stimulus package...

U.S. Stocks Rally to Record Highs as AI Rebound Fuels Holiday-Shortened Session

U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the SP 500 finishing at record closing highs during a broad-based rally in a holiday-shortened trading session. All three major indexes...

Politics

U.S. Prioritizes Economic Pressure With Venezuelan Oil Quarantine as Sanctions Intensify

The United States has shifted its near-term military focus toward enforcing a so-called quarantine on Venezuelan oil exports, signaling a strategy that prioritizes economic pressure over direct military confrontation....

Hanwha Signals Readiness to Build Nuclear-Powered Submarines at Philly Shipyard for U.S. Navy

Hanwha Group has announced that its Philadelphia-based shipyard has the technical capability to build nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy, highlighting the South Korean conglomerates growing ambitions in the...

China’s One-Child Policy Legacy Resurfaces After Death of Former Population Chief

The death of Peng Peiyun, a former senior Chinese official who oversaw the countrys one-child policy for a decade, has reignited fierce debate on Chinese social media about the long-term impact of the controversial...

Christmas Eve Jazz Concert Canceled After Kennedy Center Renaming to Include Trump

A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has been canceled following a controversial decision to rename the iconic performing arts institution to include the name of Republican U.S....

Palau Agrees to Accept Up to 75 U.S.-Transferred Migrants in Deal Tied to Increased American Aid

Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 migrants transferred from the United States after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Washington, a move that has drawn international attention amid ongoing debate over U.S....

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has reportedly agreed to acquire Groq, a fast-growing designer of high-performance artificial intelligence accelerator chips, in a $20 billion all-cash transaction, according to a CNBC report. The...

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...

John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training

Investigative journalist John Carreyrou, widely known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos and for authoring the bestselling book Bad Blood, has filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit...

Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Store Dominance

Italys competition authority has imposed a 98.6 million ($115.53 million) fine on U.S. technology giant Apple and two of its subsidiaries, citing alleged abuse of a dominant market position related to the distribution of...