John Mills is a neonatal paediatrician who has been working exclusively with newborn babies since 1997.

​

John was born and educated in England and attended the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital in London (where healthcare has been provided to the sick since 1123!). He came to Australia in 1991 and, after 18 months working as a general practitioner, trained as a paediatrician at the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane. During this training, John decided that he wanted to work exclusively with babies so, after spending a year at the Neonatal Intensive Care at the Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane, John relocated to Melbourne and completed his neonatal training in the Neonatal Unit at The Royal Children's Hospital. While completing this clinical training, John became interested in research and completed a Master of Medical Science in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, and subsequently a Doctorate in neonatal respiratory physiology and ventilatory support.

​

John was appointed as a full-time Consultant Neonatologist in the Neonatal Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne in 2002. He also worked in the Fetal Management Unit, Royal Women's Hospital counselling couples whose babies had been diagnosed antenatally with a variety of birth defects.

​

John started to work as a private neonatal paediatrician in 2001. In 2007, he set up consulting rooms of his own on the St Vincent's Private Hospital campus. In 2012, he founded Melbourne Neonatal Network and has been working full-time there since 2018. As part of his role, John provides education to the next generation of midwives, special care nurses, medical students, and paediatricians. He also speaks at national and international conferences, continues to be involved in neonatal research, and writes medicolegal reports.
 

Areas of Expertise

Over more than two decades of exclusively caring for newborns, John has developed expertise in:

• Routine neonatal care — newborn examinations, feeding, growth and general wellbeing in the early weeks and months of life

• The irritable or unsettled baby — assessment and management of excessive crying, colic, and settling difficulties

• Cow's milk protein intolerance and allergy — diagnosis and dietary/clinical management

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux — assessment and treatment in infants

• Delayed development — early identification and monitoring of developmental concerns

• Plagiocephaly — assessment and management of positional head shape issues

• Hip dysplasia — screening, diagnosis, and management of developmental hip conditions

• And a broad range of other common newborn and early infancy conditions
   

Personal

John is married and has two adult daughters. Apart from spending time with his family, John enjoys cycling, royal tennis, golf, skiing, stamp collecting, listening to classical music, and travelling with his family.

He particularly enjoys a glass of good red wine in front of the fire.

​