Michael A Crawford PhD, FRSB, FRCPath

As a Director of the Mother and Child Foundation the aims or our research are:

1.To prevent and relieve the sickness and disability and preserve and protect the health of pregnant women and their children

To date, the Mother & Child Foundation has funded studies on low birth weight, pre-maturity and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.  The principle target has been to understand the cause and prevent disorders of brain development which lead to a life time of disability, learning difficulties and behavioural pathology.

In collabration with Professor Kate Costeloe SCBU, and Mr Ed Dorman, Obstetrics at the Homerton Hospital in the East-end of London.  They defined a relationship between maternal nutrient intake and birthweight up to but not above 3,220g. A randomised clinical trial on micronutient spplementation baed on the WHO recommendatoons for pregnancy resulted in a better than 2 fold reduction in small for gesatational age births. Research continues with Professor Mark Johnson, Dr Enitan Ogundipe and Dr Yiqun Wang at the Chelsea andWestminster Hospital Camus of ImperialCollege. The fosucs is on matters related to maternal nutrition and health, brain development and function.

2. To advance the education of health professionals, the nursing profession and the general public, and particularly the parents of such children concerning low birth weight, its causes, and effects. 

The Foundation established the Mother & Baby Clinic in the East-end of London in 1994. It was used as a basis for teaching and research on maternal nutrition and health.After a successful Randomise Clinical Trail which reduced the proportion of babies born small for gestational age, the clinic now serves intervention with disadvantaged children through play. 

3.  To promote or assist in the promotion of research, prevention, alleviation and management of such ill health and disability and to publish the useful results of such research.

To date we have organised 22 international conferences on nuttiriton, brain development and mental health.