Peter Fleming

Credentials and experience

Registration

GMC 1556375 Check the register
Checked on the public register on 10 November 2026.

Works at

University of Bristol

Experience

Paediatrician, neonatologist and epidemiologist; Bristol Medical School

Qualifications

• CBE
• PhD
• MB ChB, University of Bristol (1972)
• FRCP (Canada)
• FRCP (London)
• FRCPCH
• On the GMC Specialist Register in paediatrics since 19 August 1996

Specialisms

Sudden infant death, Safer infant sleep, Cot mattresses, Infant physiology

Declared interests

Has worked with The Lullaby Trust for many years; no commercial bedding interest declared

Professor Peter Fleming CBE is Emeritus Professor of Infant Health and Developmental Physiology at the University of Bristol. A paediatrician, neonatologist and epidemiologist, he set up the Avon infant mortality research whose findings on babies' sleeping position led to the Back to Sleep campaign in 1991, and he has supported families bereaved by sudden infant death since 1980. He answered our questions in November 2026 on what makes a cot mattress safe, what the word "breathable" does and doesn't mean, and what to keep out of the cot. His staff profile is on the University of Bristol website.

Guides Peter has commented on

• Best Baby Cot Mattresses UK 2026: Firm, Flat & Washable Picks