Dr Brian Symon, has 35 years experience in primary healthcare, and has spent the past 15 years selecting the best doctors and care professionals to join his world class team at Australian Family Care. His team consists of over 50 doctors and allied health professionals from Australia, UK, USA, and Europe.
In addition Dr Brian Symon provides advanced skills in the care of pregnant women and babies with a focus on high quality feeding, growth and sleep. He has more than 30 years’ experience working with parents and babies experiencing sleep, feeding, growth and/or behavioural issues. He is a specialist medical practitioner with a MD (PhD) in infant sleep. Dr Symon is well published in national and international medical and research journals having researched infant sleep problems throughout his medical career.
As well as an experienced Private Specialist General Practitioner and Procedural Rural General Practitioner, Dr Symon has been a senior lecturer and inaugural member of the Department of General Practice, University of Adelaide. He was responsible for implementing healthcare teaching programs and creating medical practices in rural communities and preparing a proposal for Commonwealth funding for what became the University’s rural school sited in Whyalla ($7,000,000 grant funding achieved).
Dr Symon has contributed to a plethora of publications and written many books on a range of health and medical topics.
Qualifications
1972: Bachelor of Science, University of Adelaide
1977: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Adelaide
1996: Fellowship of the RACGP, granted by examination
2003: MD, University of Adelaide. Thesis: Infant sleep disorders. Their significance and evidence-based and strategies for prevention. A Randomised control trial.
Publications
- The joy of parenting: infant sleep intervention to improve maternal emotional well-being and infant sleep. Symon B, Crichton GE. Singapore Med J. 2016 Feb 26. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2016046. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26915392
- Behavioral Management of Sleep Problems in Infants Under 6 Months – What Works?Crichton GE, Symon B. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2016 Feb-Mar;37(2):164-71. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000257. PMID: 26836644
- Effect of a consultation teaching behaviour modification on sleep performance in infants: a randomised controlled trial. Symon BG, Marley JE, Martin AJ, Norman ER. Med J Aust. 2005 Mar 7;182(5):215-8. PMID: 15748130
- Urgent information on peanut allergy: New evidence from the LEAP study. Symon B, Crichton G. Aust Fam Physician. 2015 Sep;44(9):618. No abstract available. PMID: 26775304
- Preventing early infant sleep and crying problems and postnatal depression: a randomized trial. Hiscock H, Cook F, Bayer J, Le HN, Mensah F, Cann W,Symon B, St James-Roberts I. Pediatrics. 2014 Feb;133(2):e346-54. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1886. Epub 2014 Jan 6. PMID: 24394682
- Reducing postnatal depression, anxiety and stress using an infant sleep intervention. Symon B, Bammann M, Crichton G, Lowings C, Tucsok J. BMJ Open. 2012 Sep 13;2(5). pii: e001662. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001662. Print 2012. PMID: 22983788
- Feeding in the first year of life – emerging benefits of introducing complementary solids from 4 months. Symon B, Bammann M. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Apr;41(4):226-9. PMID: 22472685
- Is recent advice on exclusive breastfeeding consistent with the data presented? Symon B, Bammann M.Evid Based Med. 2012 Dec;17(6):198. doi: 10.1136/ebmed-2011-100450. Epub 2012 Mar 14. No abstract available. PMID: 22419767
- Electronic medical records may be inadequate for improving population health status through general practice: cervical smears as a case study. Laurence CO, Burgess T, Beilby J,Symon B, Wilkinson D. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2004 Aug;28(4):317-20.PMID: 15704693
- Undergraduate student experience in dental service delivery in rural South Australia: an analysis of costs and benefits. Richards L,Symon B, Burrow D, Chartier A, Misan G, Wilkinson D. Aust Dent J. 2002 Sep;47(3):254-8. PMID: 12405467
- Positive impact of rural academic family practices on rural medical recruitment and retention in South Australia. Wilkinson D,Symon B, Newbury J, Marley JE. Aust J Rural Health. 2001 Feb;9(1):29-33. PMID: 11703264
- Preparing Australian medical students for safe overseas clinical placements in the era of HIV. Symon BG, Wilkinson D, Rogers G, Shaw D. Aust Fam Physician. 2001 Sep;30(9):917-20. No abstract available. Erratum in: Aust Fam Physician 2001 Oct;30(10):1009. PMID 11676325
- Establishing a practice based primary care research network. The University Family Practice Network in South Australia. Laurence CO, Beilby JJ, Marley JE, Newbury J, Wilkinson D,Symon B. Aust Fam Physician. 2001 May;30(5):508-12. Review. PMID: 11432028
- Amalgamation and collaboration in rural general practices: early experience with the GP links program in rural South Australia. Wilkinson D,Symon B. Aust J Rural Health. 2001 Apr;9(2):79-83. PMID: 11259961
- Treating children with sleep disorders. Early intervention increases sleep times in young babies. Symon B, Marley J, Martin J. BMJ. 2000 Jun 17;320(7250):1667-8; author reply 1668. No abstract available. PMID: 10905835
- Inequitable distribution of general practitioners in Australia: estimating need through the Robin Hood Index. Wilkinson D,Symon B. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2000 Feb;24(1):71-5. PMID: 10777982
- Establishing a new university department of rural health: the first 2 years of the South Australian Centre for Rural and Remote Health. Wilkinson D, Blue I,Symon B, Fuller J, Smith M. Aust J Rural Health. 1999 Nov;7(4):223-8. PMID: 10732512
- Accessibility to general practitioners in rural South Australia. A case study using geographic information system technology. Bamford EJ, Dunne L, Taylor DS, Symon BG, Hugo GJ, Wilkinson D. Med J Aust. 1999 Dec 6-20;171(11-12):614-6. PMID: 10721346
- Medical students, their electives, and HIV. Wilkinson D,Symon B. BMJ. 1999 Jan 16;318(7177):139-40. No abstract available. PMID: 9888884
- Breast feeding retention rates and supplementary feeds. Symon B, Marley J.J R Soc Med. 1994 Nov;87(11):721. No abstract available. PMID: 7837207