Investigating infant feeding in women with severe mental illness
Home › Research and implementation › Our research areas › Maternity and perinatal mental health
12 July 2021 — adopted July 2021 • completed May 2024
Investigating infant feeding in women with severe mental illness
Women with severe mental illness (SMI) face multiple infant feeding barriers which can complicate their early parenting experiences, but limited evidence in this area means that gaps in care remain unclear.
74%
breastfeeding initiation rate in England overall — but very few studies investigate outcomes among women with SMI
Infant feeding choices have long-term maternal and infant health implications, impacting both physical and emotional wellbeing. This study utilises data from the eLIXIR (early-LIfe data cross-LInkage in Research) database to investigate infant feeding in women with SMI.
The database includes routinely collected maternal and mental health outcome data from general and psychiatric services across south London and is therefore very representative of the local population, addressing the health inequalities of women living with SMI in south London.
Project aim
To broaden understanding of infant feeding in the context of SMI and to provide data which will inform resources for both staff and women to help individualise infant feeding support for women with SMI.
How the research will be carried out
This is a mixed methods study with three key work packages:
Qualitative study
Exploring the infant feeding experiences and support needs of women with SMI. Women who received care from a secondary mental health service in England during their pregnancy, or the first year following childbirth, will be interviewed about their experience of infant feeding.
Cohort study using eLIXIR data
Using prospectively collected data to find out how many women with SMI start breastfeeding compared to women without SMI attending the same maternity service. Data will also explore what medical and social factors might influence breastfeeding initiation in women with SMI.
Development of infant feeding resources
Researchers will develop infant feeding resources for staff and service users tailored for women with SMI. A stakeholder engagement event in the final phase will present key findings and facilitate a workshop to evaluate resources with key stakeholders — including research participants, service users with lived experience of perinatal SMI, PAG members, clinical and academic staff, and policymakers.
How patients and the public are involved
Patients and the public engaged in discussions about the study at the initial proposal stage and will continue to be an active part of the research — developing and reviewing key study documents, advising on recruitment and interview questions, and helping to interpret and disseminate results.
Patient and public advisory groups include:
✓
King’s College London, Section of Women’s Mental Health, Patient Advisory Group (PAG)
Women with lived experience of perinatal severe mental illness and their carers
✓
Camden baby feeding peer support group
Specialises in the relationship between mental health and infant feeding
Potential benefits of the project
The findings of the study will be used to design resources for women and staff to improve infant feeding support in the context of SMI:
✓
Help women to make informed choices about feeding, increasing their sense of control and improving self-efficacy
✓
Positive impact on women’s emotional and physical wellbeing
✓
Improve women’s ability to bond with their baby and their transition to motherhood
Project lead
Dr Natasha Baker
NIHR clinical doctoral research fellow, King’s College London
Related content
- →
Using electronic patient records from maternity and mental health to improve care — blog about the eLIXIR database used in this study - →
Informing national policy on perinatal mental health and maternity care - →
Maternity and perinatal mental health research at ARC South London
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.