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The MINERvA Network will allow more accurate and precise determination of the contributions of familial and environmental factors to the etiology of autism.

Sibling profiles, including sibling status (only-child or sibling) and sibling characteristics (sibling size, birth order, and sex), can impact on lived experiences and social interactions, and operate as protective or risk factors for a wide range of health and well-being indicators and outcomes. Using population-based data linkage to disability-specific databases, sibling profiles were compared between families of children with and without neurodevelopmental conditions.

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 Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire (RSBQ) describes behavioural and emotional features. This study investigated total RSBQ score trajectories and their clustering, and for trajectory groups, relationships with genotype and mobility, weight-for-age z scores, and seizure frequency.

People with intellectual disability experience higher rates of physical and mental health problems than those without intellectual disability. Health literacy includes accessing, understanding, appraising and applying health information. Improving health literacy is associated with better health outcomes. The internet is a primary source of health information for many people. This study aimed to evaluate available online health resources for people with intellectual disability and their families to understand information gaps.

Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a congenital disorder affecting 1 in 10,000 births, defined by the presence of at least two of a clinical triad, consisting of optic nerve hypoplasia, midline brain defects and pituitary hormone deficiency. Children with SOD may have vision impairment, hormonal deficiencies, developmental disorders, or epilepsy, but the clinical picture is highly variable. The complexity of SOD, its interplay with family factors, and the need for multiple specialty commitments can make the diagnosis period a challenging time for families.

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are varied in their nature and presentation. Barriers to oral healthcare are reported in studies of general populations with IDD but these may not reflect the barriers experienced by individuals with rare disorders such as Rett syndrome.

The transport of sick newborn infants with respiratory distress leads to unwanted stress at time of physiological instability. There is dearth of studies to evaluate these stress levels. This pilot prospective observational before-after study aimed to evaluate the plasma cortisol levels (as surrogate marker of stress) in infants with respiratory distress during different phases of neonatal transport.

Clinical utility of home polysomnography in children with neuromuscular disorders is limited by lack of evidence that sleep-disordered breathing can be reliably identified and inability to diagnose hypoventilation because carbon dioxide is not measured.

No validated oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) instrument currently exists for those with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities and who communicate non-verbally. This qualitative study aimed to explore the domains that were important to the oral health-related quality of life in individuals with Rett syndrome.