Telethon Institute Research project in nation's top 10
A program of research at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research to uncover the key drivers to improve child health and wellbeing has been today recognised as one of the Ten of the Best Research Projects of 2011 by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The $8 million grant over five years funded research teams led by the State's most experienced and respected health researchers including Professors Fiona Stanley, Steve Zubrick, Carol Bower, Nick De Klerk, Sven Silburn, Associate Professor Deborah Lehmann and Dr Helen Leonard.
Some of the group's achievements include:
- evidence to support the fortification of bread with folate to reduce serious birth defects like spina bifida
- evidence to underpin the new national guidelines for consuming alcohol in pregnancy
- initiatives to reduce serious infections like pneumonia and gastroenteritis in Aboriginal children
- research to support the introduction of a vaccine to cut the incidence of Hib meningitis
- establishing a cerebral palsy register that has now been adopted nationally to better understand the causes, most effective treatments and services
- better understanding trends and causes of autism spectrum disorders
- documenting a rise in common form of birth defect - hypospadias
- development of an index of early child development for Australia that has now been rolled out nationally.
The Institute's Acting Director, Professor Moira Clay, said the honour recognised WA's leadership in many aspects of child health research.
"This body of work has contributed to a range of initiatives to improve child health that is felt by every family in Australia," Professor Clay said.
"If you're eating folate in your bread to prevent birth defects, vaccinating your children against meningitis or understanding the dangers of alcohol in pregnancy, then this powerhouse team has made a difference."
Research funded by the NHMRC program grant has generated more than 360 journal articles, nine books and 30 book chapters. The program grant team has also made significant contributions to the understanding and diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, otitis media and other ear diseases in Aboriginal children, metabolic syndrome, adolescent fatty liver disease and psychological problems. It has established the value of first trimester screening for chromosomal disorders in WA and the risk of birth defects in children born following assisted conception. The research has demonstrated the benefits of swimming pools in remote communities and documented critical antenatal factors in mental health problems.
The Ten of the Best publication can be found at www.nhmrc.gov.au