The Lililwan Project: Prevalence Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders In The Fitzroy Valley
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$777,758.00
Summary
Alcohol use in pregnancy is widespread in Australia. Alchohol may cause physical and developmental problems in the developing child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This collaborative project, initiated and led by Aboriginal leaders in the Fitzroy Valley in the remote East Kimberley, WA, will establish the prevalence of FASD, health and developmental problems in a population of primary school-aged, predominantly Aboriginal children and develop strategies for service deliver ....Alcohol use in pregnancy is widespread in Australia. Alchohol may cause physical and developmental problems in the developing child including the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This collaborative project, initiated and led by Aboriginal leaders in the Fitzroy Valley in the remote East Kimberley, WA, will establish the prevalence of FASD, health and developmental problems in a population of primary school-aged, predominantly Aboriginal children and develop strategies for service delivery, prevention and education.Read moreRead less
Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM is an international leader in rare disease research, as Director of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit and investigator on The Lililwan project in Fitzroy Valley's remote Aboriginal communities, WA. This will establish prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD); diagnose and manage affected children and support their carers; and provide data to inform service needs for FASD and prevention policy for alcohol use pregnancy.
Reducing Morbidities In Preterm Growth Restricted Neonates.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,214.00
Summary
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious complication of pregnancy and occurs when fetal growth is abnormal, resulting in a fetus that is smaller than it should be for its given gestational age. IUGR babies are at much greater risk of many short and long-term adverse outcomes. This study investigates the role that adverse cardiovascular development plays in the progression of lung, heart and brain disease in preterm IUGR newborns.
Understanding White Matter Injury In Term-born Children With Cerebral Palsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,863.00
Summary
The type of brain injury in cerebral palsy varies. In some children the brain develops abnormally in early pregnancy; others have a stroke or suffer from lack of oxygen around the time of birth. Little is known about the group of children born at term who have damage to the brain’s white matter, a pattern more typical of premature birth. This project will explore brain imaging, potential risk factors, and clinical outcomes for these children to identify possible causes and prevention pathways.
Developmental Changes In Cerebral Oxygenation After Term And Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,306.00
Summary
Approximately 10% of all births are preterm and the numbers of infants surviving are increasing. We have previously found that infants born preterm have lower blood pressure over the first 6 months after term equivalent age than infants born at term. We will use new technology to examine how preterm birth affects brain oxygenation and how this is altered with gestational age, sleep states and sleeping position, to provide insights into their increased risk for SIDS.
Mechanisms Contributing To Long-term Neuronal Loss After Hypoxia-ischemia In The Premature Neonate Brain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,535.00
Summary
A lack of oxygen (hypoxia) and blood flow to the brain (ischemia) around the time of birth can cause brain injury that perists into adulthood. The burdens on financial, educational and healthcare resources are enormous. We will improve our understanding of what parts of the brain are injured and the mechanisms contributing to on-going brain injury after hypoxia-ischemia.This is important to devise treatments and to provide a healthy start to life for neonates.
Executive Dysfunction And Brain Development In Very Preterm 13-year-olds - A Longitudinal MRI Study.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$738,656.00
Summary
An area of concern for very preterm children is executive function (i.e. skills used for problem solving), which is related to educational problems, behavioural issues and social difficulties. In very preterm children this study will 1) determine if executive function problems remain stable, worsen, or improve with age; 2) look for markers for these problems from infant brain scans; and 3) examine how executive function difficulties are related to brain re-organisation.
Novel Cell Therapy For Hirschsprung Disease: From Patient IPS Cells To Large Animal Trials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,011,764.00
Summary
In Hirschsprung disease the lower bowel has no nerve cells. It does not function so it is surgically removed but quality of life is poor. A new idea is to replace the missing cells with new ones. Human infants are very large so we will use new stem cell technologies to create large numbers of cells. We will use polymer chemistry to devise a method of getting the cells into such a large organ as the bowel, and trial these on a model, the piglet, which closely resembles in size the human baby.
Cancer is still a major cause of mortality in adults and children. Several lines of evidence suggest that some childhood cancers may arise due to factors, which interfere with the normal process of early development in embryonal tissues. The nature of the molecular factors which derail normal embryogenesis, their mechanism and timing, is vital information for efforts to generate novel pharmaceuticals. Moreover, factors which are necessary for tumour initiation, might be very good targets for a c ....Cancer is still a major cause of mortality in adults and children. Several lines of evidence suggest that some childhood cancers may arise due to factors, which interfere with the normal process of early development in embryonal tissues. The nature of the molecular factors which derail normal embryogenesis, their mechanism and timing, is vital information for efforts to generate novel pharmaceuticals. Moreover, factors which are necessary for tumour initiation, might be very good targets for a cancer prevention strategy. If entirely successful, our experiments will show that the MYCN oncoprotein is a key factor in the very earliest stages of neuroblastoma tumour formation, we will define the mechanism of the MYCN effect on the normal process of neural crest development, and, we will provide a basis for future cancer prevention strategies in children with this disease.Read moreRead less