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Vaccination in pregnancy is the best strategy to reduce complications from influenza or pertussis infection in infants who are too young to be protected directly from vaccination. Pregnant women are also at risk of influenza complications preventable through antenatal vaccination. Both vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women in Australia, but coverage is not routinely reported nationally.
Immunomodulatory proteins in human milk (HM) can shape infant immune development. However, strategies to modulate their levels are currently unknown. This study investigated whether maternal prebiotic supplementation alters the levels of immunomodulatory proteins in HM.
Ingestion of prebiotics during pregnancy and lactation may have immunomodulatory benefits for the developing fetal and infant immune system and provide a potential dietary strategy to reduce the risk of allergic diseases. We sought to determine whether maternal supplementation with dietary prebiotics reduces the risk of allergic outcomes in infants with hereditary risk.
Maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination is an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants. Previous vaccine safety studies have mostly focused on the association between maternal vaccination and fetal death.
Vaccine hesitancy and suboptimal vaccine uptake pose significant threats to public health, but modifiable psychological factors underpinning them are under-investigated. We examined the prevalence of spontaneous emotional mental imagery relating to infectious diseases and perinatal vaccines and its unique associations with vaccine hesitancy and uptake behaviour.
A birth acellular pertussis vaccine may be a valuable alternative for immunity against infant pertussis when a pregnancy pertussis vaccine has not been administered. We assessed whether a birth dose may impair immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to childhood pertussis boosters.
Gut microbiota play a critical role in long-term health by supporting metabolism, immune function, inflammation regulation, and neurological development via the gut–brain axis. Beneficial bacteria enhance gut integrity through short-chain fatty acid production, pathogen inhibition, and mucosal barrier support.
Jane Pillow BMedSci (Dist) MBBS, PhD (Dist) FRACP Head, Developmental Chronobiology jane.pillow@thekids.org.au Head, Developmental Chronobiology
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the acquired autoimmune heart valve damage resulting from untreated infection with the Streptococcus pyogenes bacterium, which affects people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage globally. This study measured RHD-associated major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and the increased risk associated with pregnancy among women diagnosed with RHD.
The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity Study is an ongoing Australian prospective cohort study investigating how modifiable prenatal and early-life exposures drive the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in children. In this profile, we describe the cohort's parental demographics, maternal and neonatal outcomes and human leukocyte antigen genotypes.