Table 2 Summary of the PSG groups, showing number of members and where they were recruited from, research topic, research method, names of collaborators, and summary of the research outputs

Science Aware Natural Parenting PSG (SANP PSG)

250

Science Aware Natural Parenting (Facebook group)

Effect of babywearing (carrying infant in a sling or wrap) on the temperature of a baby

Laboratory-based experiment using thermos-sensors with 9 mother/baby pairs

Dr Davide Filingeri, Loughborough University

Paper by PSG, Filingeri and two colleagues in review; PSG group member presentation to Midlands Baby Carrying Convention; Filingeri and PSG group member presentation at the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine Physiological Measurements Special Interest Group

Dumfries and Galloway Bumps, Babies, Beyond PSG (DGBBB PSG)

80

Mummies United and other Facebook groups affiliated to DGBBB

Flexischooling

Collection of data through Freedom of Information requests, surveys and qualitative interviews

Dr Tara Jones, University of the West of Scotland

Paper based on PSG research in Other Education; group member and PSG Director, interview on Mornings with Kaye Adams, BBC Radio Scotland

Big Birthas PSG (BB PSG)

155

Followers of the Big Birthas blog by Amber Marshall, existing PSG groups, and by word of mouth

The effect of choice during pregnancy and labour for mothers with a high BMI

Qualitative study using email interviews

–

Report on thematic analysis on PSG website; paper in preparation; Primary Care & Public Health conference stall

Let Toys Be Toys PSG (LTBT PSG)

650

Open recruitment for LTBT supporters, advertised on social media and to PSG members

Gender stereotypes in children’s books

Intervention study including control group where parents read children books for five weeks

Dr Lauren Spinner, University of Kent

Results report and discussion published on PSG website

Breastfeeding and Health Care Experiences PSG (BF HCE PSG)

440

Year 1 PSG groups and then members of the wider breastfeeding community on Facebook

1) Breastfeeding and healthcare experiences

2) How personal experience of breastfeeding affects practice of health care professionals

1) Survey of mothers’ interactions with healthcare professionals analysed using corpus linguistics

2) Peer-to-peer qualitative interviews

1) Dr. Gavin Brookes, Lancaster University

2) Dr. Yan-Shing Chang, King’s College, London

Presented results at the Infant Feeding All-Party Parliamentary Group; Dr. Brookes has a book in preparation with a chapter based on project; presentations at the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and the Institute of Health Visitors

Mealtime Hostage PSG (MH PSG)

327

Mealtime Hostage (Facebook community)

ARFID (Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake DIsorder) and sensory sensitivity

Questionnaire followed by statistical analysis by collaborators

Dr Terry Dovey (Brunel University) Prof Jackie Blissett (Aston University)

Poster at British Feeding and Drinking Group Conference, and International Conference on Children’s Eating Behaviour; one paper published in European Psychiatry and another in progress

Breastfeeding Older Babies & Beyond PSG (BOBAB PSG)/ UK Breastfeeding and Parenting Support PSG (UKBAPS PSG)

1180 (total across both groups)

Breastfeeding Older Babies & Beyond (Facebook community) UK Breastfeeding and Parenting Support (Facebook community)

Constituents of breastmilk from mothers feeding older infants

Laboratory analysis of expressed milk via mass spectroscopy and microbiota analysis

Dr Natalie Shenker and Dr. Simon Cameron, Imperial College, London

Journal article in progress; presentations planned at the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and the Institute of Health Visitors, additional presentations by collaborators at UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, and Metabolomics