Dr Hilary Davies
About
Biography
Hilary is an epidemiologist and state registered dietitian with experience of working in the fields of primary and secondary care databases, maternal and child health, dietetic clinical experience and organisational administration in both the United Kingdom and South Africa. She obtained a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Psychology and Postgraduate Medical Honours degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Cape Town, MSc in Maternal Nutrition from the University of Stellenbosch, and a PhD in Epidemiology and Health from UCL. She was awarded an NIHR NSPCR PhD studentship in 2012 and supervised by Dr Irene Petersen, Professor Irwin Nazareth and Dr Fiona Stevenson. She used a mixed methods approach which focused on drug use and opioid substitute treatment in pregnancy, using evidence from electronic health records (The Health Improvement Network and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)). She also worked alongside Professor Ruth Gilbert, from the Institute of Child Health, exploring the prevalence of neonatal abstinence syndrome in England using HES. She is continuing to examine primary care and HES data to explore the longitudinal outcomes for children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. She has established a number of collaborations and networks with national and international partners, including those in Australia, Canada, South Africa and the USA.
Prior to joining the University of Surrey, She worked as a dietitian in the NHS and St Mary's University as a Lecturer in the School of Human Sciences where she obtained her PGCHE. She took a year's sabbatical from lecturing in 2009 and worked as the Research coordinator in South Africa for the Philani Mentor Mothers' Research Study, a randomised controlled study run in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and sponsored by UCLA. The project involved recruiting and training mothers from within the community to become community health workers to help support pregnant women and their children.
After completion of her PhD, she worked as a Research Associate at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, with Professor Andrew Steptoe on the Promoting Independence in Dementia (PRIDE) project which is funded by The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Hilary joined the School of Health Sciences at the University of Surrey as a Lecturer in 2017.
ResearchResearch interests
Vulnerable women and children, High risk pregnancies in low income countries, Gestational anthropometry, Perinatal mental health, Research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative), Nutrition surveillance, Epidemiology, Public health issues Primary and secondary care databases.
Research projects
Persistent Tears Study Unexplained crying behaviour occurs in 10-30% of infants less than 3 months old. Parents are not always able to soothe their baby and the persistent crying can increase anxiety and concern which often leads to parents seeking medical advice. Persistent crying was previously thought to be due to digestion difficulties and often diagnosed as infant colic. However, evidence has shown that over 90% of infants who are seen by a health professional for persistent crying are healthy and the crying is not attributed to a medical condition. Persistent crying can be seen as a normal developmental process which peaks at 2 months and usually discontinues when the baby is 5 months old (5,6).
Molli Baby Ltd has recently developed a new approach to help reduce persistent crying. (European Patent no. 2667840 and US Patent no. 9492359B2). A small sample of healthy infants have demonstrated physiological benefits as well as improved soothing response when using the new approach. There have been no randomized controlled studies testing the efficacy or acceptability of this new approach. Our study thereforeaims to evaluate the feasibility of the new approach as a potential intervention for reducing unexplained persistent crying in infants between 2-8 weeks old.
We are looking to recruit parent/s and infants with unexplained infant crying who meet the inclusion criteria. We will be recruiting from online support platforms, parent and infant groups and paediatric chiropractor clinics. If you are interested in participating in the study or finding out more information please contact either Dr Hilary Davies-Kershaw or Dr Ann Robinson are Principal Investigators for this study. Please contact them on either 01483 684648 or 01483 686713
This study is funded by the University of Surrey SME Innovation (Project code: KN9166A). It has obtained favourable ethical opinion from the University of Surrey Ethics Committee. Participants:persistent_tears_study@surrey.ac.uk PARTNERS (PARents Together in Nutrition Exercise inteRconception) Study This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of an inter-conception nutrition and exercise intervention at Surrey Sports Park. To reduce future risk of Type 2 diabetes and to improve ‘family’ health and lifestyle in preparation for another pregnancy, women who are obese and have had Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) during their first pregnancy and their partners will be invited to participate.
The study will test the feasibility of recruiting 25 women from the Royal Surrey County Hospital with GDM who were obese before pregnancy and their partners to consent to possible randomisation to an intervention or control group. Twelve couples will be randomised to take part in the study following birth. The intervention group will attend an initial assessment followed by a 12 week ‘fit for living’ nutrition and exercise programme with assessment and questionnaires after 6 and 12 weeks at the Surrey Sports Park. The control group will be offered an initial assessment and follow up assessment and questionnaires at 6 and12 weeks but without the intervention.
To test acceptability and feasibility of the study we will interview the couples involved in both groups and the staff involved in the study at the end of the 12 weeks. Together, the quantitative and qualitative information will inform the design of a larger intervention study powered to look at the effect of reducing weight in the interconception period and prevention of GDM in the next pregnancy.
This study is funded by the University of Surrey Prime Funding. It has obtained favourable ethical opinion from the NHS and the University of Surrey Ethics Committees. SJT-Online StudyDetails will follow. This study is funded by the University of Surrey Prime Funding. It has obtained favourable ethical opinion from the University of Surrey Ethics Committees.
Drug use during pregnancy StudyDetails will follow: This study has gained approved from the Royal College of General Practice Database Surveillance centre.
Research collaborations
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL collaboration with Professor Andrew Steptoe, Dr Ruth Hackett and Dr Dorina Cadar examining risk factors of dementia using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Institute of Child Health, UCL, collaboration with Professor Ruth Gilbert, Dr Jenny Woodman, Dr Ruth Blackburn and Dr Linda Wijlaars examining drug use during pregnancy.
Research interests
Vulnerable women and children, High risk pregnancies in low income countries, Gestational anthropometry, Perinatal mental health, Research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative), Nutrition surveillance, Epidemiology, Public health issues Primary and secondary care databases.
Research projects
Details will follow. This study is funded by the University of Surrey Prime Funding. It has obtained favourable ethical opinion from the University of Surrey Ethics Committees.
Details will follow: This study has gained approved from the Royal College of General Practice Database Surveillance centre.
Research collaborations
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL collaboration with Professor Andrew Steptoe, Dr Ruth Hackett and Dr Dorina Cadar examining risk factors of dementia using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Institute of Child Health, UCL, collaboration with Professor Ruth Gilbert, Dr Jenny Woodman, Dr Ruth Blackburn and Dr Linda Wijlaars examining drug use during pregnancy.