Efficacy And Safety Of Omega-3 DHA Supplementation In Preterm Infants: Childhood Follow-up Of The N3RO Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,218.00
Summary
Giving babies born 3 to 4 months prematurely the omega-3 DHA has been thought to improve their mental development. But we don’t yet know if this is indeed so. In this follow-up study, we will be able to find out the important longer-term effects at 5-years of age of extra DHA in the first months of life by assessing the children’s mental development.
Improving The Health And Development Of High Risk Preterm Newborns
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,381.00
Summary
Preterm children have more health and developmental problems than those born full term. Although we know the problems faced by those tiniest and most immature, more questions remain. What problems do they face as adults? What new treatments are available to improve their outcomes? Are the more “mature” preterms at risk as well? My research program aims to address these questions through the efforts of the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study team, a large research team that I lead.
Planned Vaginal Birth Or Planned Elective Repeat Caesarean For Women At Term With A Single Previous Caesarean Section
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$741,750.00
Summary
In Australia over 1 in 5 women give birth by caesarean section. The largest contribution to the total number of caesareans is from women having a repeat caesarean; who have previously had a caesarean. Two care policies are standard for women who have had a previous caesarean; either a planned trial of vaginal birth or a planned elective repeat caesarean. This prospective cohort study will compare the risks and benefits of these two forms of care. The results will help provide better evidence fro ....In Australia over 1 in 5 women give birth by caesarean section. The largest contribution to the total number of caesareans is from women having a repeat caesarean; who have previously had a caesarean. Two care policies are standard for women who have had a previous caesarean; either a planned trial of vaginal birth or a planned elective repeat caesarean. This prospective cohort study will compare the risks and benefits of these two forms of care. The results will help provide better evidence from which to develop health advice that will guide clinical practice, for the optimal care of women who have had a previous caesarean and their infants.Read moreRead less
Does Place Of Birth Influence A Healthy Start To Life?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$343,050.00
Summary
There are over 255,000 births in Australia each year and a major challenge in terms of planning and provision is to ensure that these babies are born in hospitals with the appropriate facilities to care for them. International studies suggest that transferring the mother before birth results in better infant outcomes than transferring the baby after birth. In Australia births occur in a range of hospitals, from small rural hospitals to tertiary obstetric and neonatal centres. However, few Austra ....There are over 255,000 births in Australia each year and a major challenge in terms of planning and provision is to ensure that these babies are born in hospitals with the appropriate facilities to care for them. International studies suggest that transferring the mother before birth results in better infant outcomes than transferring the baby after birth. In Australia births occur in a range of hospitals, from small rural hospitals to tertiary obstetric and neonatal centres. However, few Australian studies have looked at infant outcomes based on place of birth. This study will use existing population health data sets to evaluate the provision of care prior to and at birth and the impact it has on infant outcomes up to one year of age. It will also describe for the first time the hospital care utilisation associated with birth and infant health. Information will be obtained from routinely-collected birth, death and birth defect registers, and hospital, midwives and perinatal death review data. Variations in health outcomes for babies may be due to factors that occur before or during pregnancy, or may be due to differences in the care provided at birth. We need to take account of maternal factors to comprehensively assess the role of level of care at birth. We will use statistical techniques to 'predict' infant health outcomes and see if differences between places of birth are real or not. If variations are explained by different levels of care then there is enormous potential for improvement in the provision of pregnancy and newborn services. We will also compare the benefits and consequences of maternal versus neonatal transfer, and assess hospital costs. The results of this study could be applied to direct health services policy and organisational changes to improve pregnancy care and optimise infant outcomes for a healthy start to life.Read moreRead less
Previous research has shown that SIDS victims have a number of subtle abnormalities that set them apart from the normal population. These include the occurrence of upper airway obstruction in sleep, a reduced ability to awaken from sleep and abnormalities of the automatic control of heart rate and blood pressure in sleep. These body functions are controlled by a component of the brain called the autonomic nervous system which controls the heart and other internal functions by means of nerves cal ....Previous research has shown that SIDS victims have a number of subtle abnormalities that set them apart from the normal population. These include the occurrence of upper airway obstruction in sleep, a reduced ability to awaken from sleep and abnormalities of the automatic control of heart rate and blood pressure in sleep. These body functions are controlled by a component of the brain called the autonomic nervous system which controls the heart and other internal functions by means of nerves called the parasymmpathetic and sympathetic systems. The purpose of this project is to undertake studies of the autonomic system in normal infants and in those infants who are considered to be at risk for SIDS. As SIDS occurs almost exclusively in sleep it is important to study the infant?s heart rate and blood pressure responses to various challenges whilst asleep. All infants (both controls and subjects) enrolled in the protocol will therefore undergo overnight sleep studies during which their automatic responses to a variety of stimuli will be measured. Once we have established the normal response to these stimuli we can then compare them to the results of the at risk group. If, as we anticipate, there is a difference between our at risk group and the normal controls in automatic function then we will measure some of the stress hormones in the body which reflect the function of the autonomic nervous system. If there is a difference in the levels of these hormones between the normal and the at risk groups which correlates with the expected subtle abnormalities in function we may be able to devise an accessible and quantifiable measure for those infants at risk of SIDSRead moreRead less
Limiting Weight Gain In Overweight And Obese Women During Pregnancy To Improve Health Outcomes - A Randomised Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,541,444.00
Summary
Being overweight or obese is a major health issue for women during pregnancy and childbirth in Australia. There are well documented risks associated with obesity during pregnancy for both the mother and her baby. This randomised trial will assess whether the implementation of a package of dietary and lifestyle advice to overweight and obese pregnancy women to limit weight gain during pregnancy is effective in improving health outcomes for women and their babies.
We are an international team committed to clinical trials to improve survival without disability in newborn babies. We plan a randomised trial to confirm if bovine lactoferrin, an inexpensive dairy protein, reduces death or major morbidity and increases total breast milk intake in 1,500 very low birthweight babies in neonatal intensive care units
Fetal Middle Cerebral Artery Doppler To Time Second And Subsequent Fetal Transfusions For Red Cell Alloimmunisation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$449,585.00
Summary
Blood group incompatability between a mother and her unborn baby can result in the production of antibodies that can damage the baby's red blood cells, causing anaemia. Treatment involves a procedure to transfuse blood to the baby while in the mother's uterus, which often needs to be repeated several times during a pregnancy. This randomised trial will assess if an ultrasound examination can be used to time second or subsequent fetal transfusions, and the impact this has on infant health.
Best Fed: Implementing Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guidelines To Improve Breast Milk Use And The Feeding Management Of Infants Born
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$177,197.00
Summary
Breast milk is the best food for babies born prematurely. There are challenges for women in providing breast milk and challenges for clinicians in managing the feeds of preterm babies, including when to start feeds and how quickly to progress. Sometimes research evidence doesn’t translate into practice and in this project I will support clinicians to implement the best evidence so that more preterm babies are receiving breast milk on discharge home.