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Discover. Prevent. Cure.
We're searching for answers to some of the most common and complex childhood diseases, conditions and issues. In addition to our four research themes (Indigenous Health, Brain and Behaviour, Chronic and Severe Diseases, Early Environment), you can also discover more about specific research we're involved in and the technology we use.
Discover what drives us as an organisation. Learn about history and the impact of the Institute along with the amazing ambitious goals we've achieved so far in the field of children's research.
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Different audiences rely on us for very different things. Whether you're a valued donor, curious professional researcher, inquisitive member of the public, or a corporate supplier looking to offer support - we've collated the resources you need.
Overweight and obesity in children continues to increase. Yet, the role of active transport, namely walking, in mitigating these trends remains unclear. This study examined the cross-sectional association between walkability and children's Body Mass Index (BMI) and how this varies by socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics. ...
Event-free survival considers other adverse events in addition to mortality. It therefore provides a more complete understanding of the effectiveness and consequences of treatment than standard survival measures, but is rarely reported at the population level for childhood cancer. ...
Concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation are a barrier to vaccine uptake. Health professionals use vaccine safety surveillance systems (VSSS) to monitor vaccines and inform the public of safety data. With little known about public attitudes, perceptions, and experiences with VSSS, we examined them in the context of COVID-19 vaccinations in Western Australia. ...
Chronic pain assessment tools exist for children, but may not be valid, reliable, and feasible for populations with functional, cognitive or communication limitations, for example, cerebral palsy (CP). This study aimed to (i) identify chronic pain assessment tools used with children and young people and rate their measurement properties; (ii) develop a CP specific feasibility rating tool to assess the feasibility of tools in CP; and (iii) categorise tools according to reporting method. ...
The heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder clinically and aetiologically hinders intervention matching and prediction of outcomes. This study investigated if the behavioural, sensory, and perinatal factor profiles of autistic children could be used to identify distinct subgroups. Participants on the autism spectrum aged 2 to 17 years and their families were sourced via the Australian Autism Biobank. ...
Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition and prior genome-wide association studies have identified 71 associated loci. In the current study we conducted the largest AD GWAS to date combining previously reported cohorts with additional available data. ...
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, despite being a preventable and curable disease. The World Health OrganizationEnd-TB Strategy, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, sets a target of reducing the TB mortality rate by 95%, TB incidence rate by 90%, and catastrophic costs due to TB by 2035, compared with a 2015 level. To achieve these ambitious targets, several interventions have been implemented in the last few years, resulting in major progress toward reducing the burden of TB. ...
Cells undergo a major epigenome reconfiguration when reprogrammed to human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS cells). However, the epigenomes of hiPS cells and human embryonic stem (hES) cells differ significantly, which affects hiPS cell function. These differences include epigenetic memory and aberrations that emerge during reprogramming, for which the mechanisms remain unknown. ...
Siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) have greater incidence of neuropsychiatric diagnoses and neurocognitive difficulties compared to siblings of persons without NDCs. Despite suicidality being labelled a global health crisis (WHO, 2014) and NDC siblings experiencing risk factors implicated in suicidality, no previous studies examined suicidality amongst adolescent and young adult siblings of persons with NDCs. Our study aimed to bridge this gap. ...
Few studies exist investigating lung function trajectories of those born preterm; however growing evidence suggests some individuals experience increasing airway obstruction throughout life. Here we use the studies identified in a recent systematic review to provide the first meta-analysis investigating the impact of preterm birth on airway obstruction measured by the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio. ...
Noninvasive measurement of respiratory impedance by oscillometry can be used in young children aged from 3 years and those unable to perform forced respiratory manoeuvres. It can discriminate between healthy children and those with respiratory disease. However, its clinical application is limited by the lack of reference data for African paediatric populations. The aim of the present study was to develop reference equations for oscillometry outcomes in South African children and adolescents. ...
This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to explore adolescent girls’ perceptions of sexualized images they typically find when using social media. Twenty-four participants aged 14–17 years described sexualized images of females as normalized on social media. The interplay between gendered and social norms that endorsed and rewarded girls for posting sexualized images was seen to influence an expectation for girls to conform with their peers and post such images of themselves. ...