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Multi-million-dollar investment in child health to support vital research

Four The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have received prestigious fellowships and four significant cohort studies led or co-led by The Kids have received key grants under two new funding programs supported by the State Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.

ORIGINS: Nutritional Profile of Children Aged One Year in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort

Dietary intake during the first year of life is a key determinant of a child's growth and development. ORIGINS is a longitudinal birth cohort study investigating factors that contribute to a 'healthy start to life' and the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

BioMood

The BioMood project will study how following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy affects the gut microbiome, metabolism, and inflammation, with the expectation that it will promote a healthier microbiome and better mental health.

Sub-projects

As well as ORIGINS long-term core research, there are a number of clinical trials, early interventions and shorter-term research studies that sit within ORIGINS. Known as sub-projects, these studies look at multiple aspects of child and family health and development.

Recruitment of active participants comes to an end for ORIGINS

ORIGINS has officially reached the study's five-year goal of recruiting 4,000 active participants to the project and has closed recruitment of new families into the active cohort.

Be involved

By participating in ORIGINS, you are contributing to one of the largest and most comprehensive birth cohort studies ever.

Machine Learning Approaches for Anatomical Measurement in Fetal Ultrasound Images

This study is investigating whether a machine learning based approach can be used to improve fetal brain anatomy measurement for learning development studies.

Influence of maternal and infant technology use and other family factors on infant development

Steve Desiree Zubrick Silva FASSA, FAAMHS, MSc AM PhD MBBS, FRACP, MPH, PhD Honorary Emeritus Research Fellow Co-Director, ORIGINS 08 6319 1409

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on Bifidobacterium spp. in Australian Infants

Complementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants. 

Urinary Ferritin as a Noninvasive Means of Assessing Iron Status in Young Children

Iron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency affecting young children. Serum ferritin concentration is the preferred biomarker for measuring iron status because it reflects iron stores; however, blood collection can be distressing for young children and can be logistically difficult. A noninvasive means to measure iron status would be attractive to either diagnose or screen for ID in young children.