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Research has shown that vitamin D levels can have an impact on many aspects of a child's health, including lung growth, language development and eating patterns
Australian researchers have found that exposure to measured doses of ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, could reduce asthma.
In a sunny country such as Australia, it’s important to identify how to achieve the right amount of sun exposure for good health. We need to be able to harness the benefits of vitamin D and sunlight while remaining protected from the proven dangers of too much UV radiation.
Human milk is rich in immuno-modulatory factors that have the potential to shape immune development and influence allergy risk in children. In this article, we describe how breast milk may contribute to making the infant less prone to developing allergies.
Vitamin D research can vary geographically, as vitamin D status is influenced by latitude, season, dietary intake, body mass index, ethnicity, and public health initiatives. Over the last two decades, research on vitamin D has increased in Australia, where the potential for sun exposure (a major source of vitamin D) is high. We aimed to identify key topics and gaps in vitamin D research in Australia using a data-driven approach.
The developmental origins of handedness remain elusive, though very early emergence suggests individual differences manifesting in utero could play an important role. Prenatal testosterone and Vitamin D exposure are considered, yet findings and interpretations remain equivocal.
We developed the iOS smartphone app Sun Safe to support healthy sun practices in young teenagers (aged 12-13 years). The production involved co-design with young co-researchers (ie, aged 12-13 years) with a health message of using sun protection when the UV index is ≥3. Important features include real-time and location-specific weather data on the UV index and gamified educational content.
A balanced approach toward sun exposure and protection is needed by young people. Excessive sun exposure increases their risk for skin cancers such as melanoma, whereas some exposure is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones. We have developed a new iOS smartphone app-Sun Safe-through a co-design process, which aims to support healthy and balanced decision-making by young teenagers (aged 12-13 years).
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension. Epidemiological studies have associated preeclampsia with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism and schizophrenia. Preeclampsia has also been linked with maternal vitamin D deficiency, another candidate risk factor also associated with autism.
There is a greater prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological autoimmune condition, in populations living further from the equator, hypothesised to be due to reduced sunlight exposure. There exists a proven sunlight surrogate therapy for dermatological inflammatory conditions, in the form of narrowband NB-UVB phototherapy. Yet, there is a paucity of randomized trials of the therapeutic delivery of NB-UVB beyond dermatology for conditions with a systemic inflammatory component.