Obesity During Pregnancy: How Can We Improve Health Outcomes For Women, Infants And Children?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,449.00
Summary
Obesity is a common issue facing Australian women and has a role to play in health in pregnancy, birth and later life for the woman and her children. Providing interventions for better health during pregnancy is likely to be an important factor in improving outcomes for a woman and her infant, both at the time of pregnancy and in later life.
A Randomised Trial Of An Early Parenting Intervention To Reduce Maternal Mood Disorder And Infant Behavior Disturbance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,503.00
Summary
Over 242,000 women give birth annually in Australia and up to 20% experience significant psychological distress in the baby's first year. Severe fatigue, worrying and depression interfere with the development of maternal confidence. If a baby does not sleep well or feed easily or cries for prolonged periods, mothers can feel ineffective and helpless. Assistance early in the baby's life is important to avoid long-term emotional and behavioral problems for mother and child. Nationally, health and ....Over 242,000 women give birth annually in Australia and up to 20% experience significant psychological distress in the baby's first year. Severe fatigue, worrying and depression interfere with the development of maternal confidence. If a baby does not sleep well or feed easily or cries for prolonged periods, mothers can feel ineffective and helpless. Assistance early in the baby's life is important to avoid long-term emotional and behavioral problems for mother and child. Nationally, health and social policy focuses on assisting families including those with parental mental health and early parenting problems and children at risk of developmental difficulties. Australia's residential early parenting services are unique, offering brief treatment to mothers with difficulties and infants with unsettled behaviour. Parents are educated in infant care and provided with emotional support and assistance to adjust to the demands of parenting. In past studies by CIA and CIB women reported marked improvements in emotional distress, maternal confidence and infant manageability after completing this treatment and six months later. The education and emotional support were rated as acceptable and very effective. This project is a randomized controlled trial that will evaluate whether brief admission to a residential early parenting service has sustainable benefits for mild to moderate maternal mental health problems and for infant behaviour disturbance. Mothers with a diagnosable mental health condition and with four-month-old infants reported to have unsettled infant behaviour will be randomly assigned to a residential treatment program at an early parenting service or to routine care. Mothers and infants will be assessed with standardized psychological measures one month after treatment and when the baby is one year old. An effective and acceptable intervention will provide an important alternative to available treatments for postnatal psychological disturbance.Read moreRead less
Metformin And Dietary Advice To Improve Insulin Sensitivity And Promote Gestational Restriction Of Weight In Pregnant Women Who Are Obese: The GRoW Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,710,437.00
Summary
Obesity is a significant health issue during pregnancy and childbirth associated with well documented risks. Women who are obese commence pregnancy in a state of increased insulin resistance, the altered metabolic and inflammatory environment providing an excess of nutrients, and a stimulus to fetal growth. The aims of the GRoW randomised trial are to evaluate the effects of metformin and dietary advice to improve insulin sensitivity in obese pregnant women on health outcomes.
Early Life Approaches To Obesity Prevention – The Role Of The In-utero Environment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$575,662.00
Summary
This proposal will comprehensively evaluate the role of maternal overweight and obesity, gestational weight gain, and the effects of antenatal dietary and lifestyle interventions on maternal, infant and childhood health outcomes. Over 50% of pregnant women are overweight or obese, with adverse outcomes for maternal and infant health, both immediately related to pregnancy, and in the longer term. Outcomes from this proposal will inform clinical guidelines and improve practice.
Cognitive Improvement Through Early Restoration Of CirCADian Rhythms In Very Preterm Infants Via Environmental Modification: The CIRCA DIEM Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,077,039.00
Summary
When very premature infants are born, they no longer receive important signals from their mother about whether it is daytime or night-time, and are cared for in hospital environments that are noisy and brightly lit all day. The absence of the maternal signals and the constant light and noise may interfere with normal brain development. We will determine if wearing eye masks and ear muffs at night in hospital will improve brain development and general health in premature babies.
Cash Transfers And Behaviour Change Communications To Reduce Child Undernutrition In Rural Bangladesh: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial To Determine The Most Effective Combination Of Interventions.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,415,801.00
Summary
Under-nutrition of children remains a major global public health problem. Tackling this problem will require more evidence about what combination of nutrition-specific and nutrition sensitive interventions is most effective in reducing child undernutrition. We plan a large scale trial in rural Bangladesh to compare the effects of communications about nutrition with mobile phones and cash transfers in preventing child malnutrition.
Investigating The Application Of Population Data To Improve Maternal And Child Health Services In Two Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,281.00
Summary
This project will contribute to the understanding of how routinely collected population health data relate to remote Aboriginal communities and how such data can be used in two field sites. Population data are widely used, but the opportunity to investigate these matters is limited. The nesting of this study within a larger project aimed at improving health services for mothers and babies provides a unique opportunity to investigate aspects of applying macro level data at a local level.
Dr Dodd a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist designing and evaluating clinical and health-based interventions in common adverse pregnancy conditions and their impact on maternal, infant and childhood health outcomes. Her major focus involves dietary and lifestyle interventions for women who are overweight and obese during pregnancy, to improve maternal, infant and childhood health.
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.
1+1- A Healthy Start To Life:Targeting The Year Before And The Year After Birth In Aboriginal Children In Remote Areas
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,272.00
Summary
Indigenous Australians in remote communities are less healthy and more socially disadvantaged than other Australians. This influences the quality of the intrauterine environment. Babies often suffer malnutrition and recurring infections during infancy which are exacerbated by their less than optimal birth status and contribute to chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure) in adulthood. Existing health services are costly to Government and do not achieve their potential ....Indigenous Australians in remote communities are less healthy and more socially disadvantaged than other Australians. This influences the quality of the intrauterine environment. Babies often suffer malnutrition and recurring infections during infancy which are exacerbated by their less than optimal birth status and contribute to chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure) in adulthood. Existing health services are costly to Government and do not achieve their potential for promoting health and providing quality care. Evidence suggests redesigned models based on continuity of care, focused, proactive family support and workload reform will improve maternal and infant outcomes. New models need to be developed, costed, implemented and evaluated providing governments with the evidence base to initiate service improvement. Such models will have applicability elsewhere in Australia. Professor Lesley Barclay and her team of researchers from Charles Darwin University will conduct research into developing such a model. The project aims to improve the quality of care for remote dwelling Aboriginal women and infants in the year before, during and the year after birth by providing evidence for, and facilitating changes to, service delivery. This will enhance the potential for the development of resilience and well-being of their children. It will also test if service improvements can improve the health of women and reduce childhood disease and therefore reduce the impact of health conditions occurring in adulthood which have their origins in the early stages of life.Read moreRead less