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Research

“It helps and it doesn’t help”: maternal perspectives on how the use of smartphones and tablet computers influences parent-infant attachment

As families increase their use of mobile touch screen devices (smartphones and tablet computers), there is potential for this use to influence parent-child interactions required to form a secure attachment during infancy, and thus future child developmental outcomes. Thirty families of infants (aged 9-15 months) were interviewed to explore how parents and infants use these devices, and how device use influenced parents' thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards their infant and other family interactions.

Research

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD): The importance of life-course and transgenerational approaches

With well-established evidence that early life conditions have a profound influence on lifespan and health-span, new interventional birth cohorts are examining ways to optimise health potential of individuals and communities. These are aimed at going beyond preventing disease, to the conditions that facilitate flourishing from an early age.

Research

Maternal prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation modifies the microbiome and short chain fatty acid profile of both mother and infant

Improving maternal gut health in pregnancy and lactation is a potential strategy to improve immune and metabolic health in offspring and curtail the rising rates of inflammatory diseases linked to alterations in gut microbiota. Here, we investigate the effects of a maternal prebiotic supplement (galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides), ingested daily from <21 weeks' gestation to six months' post-partum, in a double-blinded, randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Research

Comparison of experiences in two birth cohorts comprising young families with children under four years during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and the UK: A qualitative study

This study aims to understand the experience and impact of the initial COVID-19 lock-down in young families with children aged below 4 years. Free text questions were administered to participants in the ORIGINS (Australia) and Born in Bradford (UK) cohort studies to collect qualitative information on worries, concerns and enjoyable experiences during the pandemic.

Research

ORIGINS community wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Desiree Doctor Jackie Lisa Susan Silva Davis Gibson Prescott MBBS, FRACP, MPH, PhD BSc (Hons) BA (Hons), MPsych, PhD MBBS BMedSci PhD FRACP Co-Head,

Research

Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Maternal Prebiotic Fibre Dietary Supplementation from Mid-Pregnancy to Six Months’ Post-Partum on Child Allergic Disease Outcomes

Infant allergy is the most common early manifestation of an increasing propensity for inflammation and immune dysregulation in modern environments. Refined low-fibre diets are a major risk for inflammatory diseases through adverse effects on the composition and function of gut microbiota. This has focused attention on the potential of prebiotic dietary fibres to favourably change gut microbiota, for local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects.

Research

Kindy Readiness Project

Desiree Doctor Jackie Lisa Susan Silva Davis Gibson Prescott MBBS, FRACP, MPH, PhD BSc (Hons) BA (Hons), MPsych, PhD MBBS BMedSci PhD FRACP Co-Head,

Research

Feasibility and safety of introducing cashew nut spread in infant diets-A randomized trial

To reduce peanut allergy prevalence, infant feeding guidelines now recommend introducing peanuts in an age-appropriate form (such as peanut butter) as part of complementary feeding. However, due to a lack of randomized trial evidence, most infant feeding and food allergy prevention guidelines do not include tree nuts. The aims of this trial were to determine safety and feasibility of dosage consumption recommendations for infant cashew nut spread introduction.

Research

Effects of pregnancy and lactation prebiotics supplementation on infant allergic disease: A randomized controlled trial

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.

News & Events

News you can use – How you can support your child while you wait for a diagnosis

The Kids Research Institute Australia's Professor Andrew Whitehouse and Sarah Pillar share four things families can do to support their child while waiting to receive an ADHD or autism diagnostic assessment.