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Research

Whole-cell pertussis vaccine in early infancy for the prevention of allergy in children

Atopic diseases are the most common chronic conditions of childhood. The apparent rise in food anaphylaxis in young children over the past three decades is of particular concern, owing to the lack of proven prevention strategies other than the timely introduction of peanut and egg.

Research

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effect of folic acid supplementation beyond the first trimester on maternal plasma unmetabolised folic acid in late gestation

Taking folic acid containing supplements prior to and during early pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Neural tube defects occur prior to 28 days postconception, after which, there is no proven benefit of continuing to take folic acid. However, many women continue to take folic acid containing supplements throughout the pregnancy.

Research

The relationship between dog ownership, dog play, family dog walking, and pre-schooler social-emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE observational study

Regular physical activity provides children with health and developmental benefits. This study investigated if active play and walking with the family dog was associated with better social-emotional development in young children.

Research

Prevalence and pattern of energy drink intake among Australian adolescents

Energy drinks (ED) are popular among young people despite evidence of associated health risks. Research into the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among young people is sparse. The present study investigates the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among a large sample of adolescents, including how many consume them, how often, for what reasons and in what contexts.

Research

Surfactant protein disorders in childhood interstitial lung disease

Surfactant, which was first identified in the 1920s, is pivotal to lower the surface tension in alveoli of the lungs and helps to lower the work of breathing and prevents atelectasis. Surfactant proteins, such as surfactant protein B and surfactant protein C, contribute to function and stability of surfactant film.

Clinical Epigenetics

Epigenomic research at The Kids explores the links between childhood disease and the molecular hallmarks of epigenetic control.

News & Events

Early childhood researcher wins South Australian science award

An early childhood researcher based at The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Adelaide office has been honoured at South Australia’s Science Excellence and Innovation Awards for her work revealing the link between screen time exposure and toddlers’ language development.

Research

Informing Resource Allocation for Investment in Early Childhood: A Review of the International Peer-Reviewed Evidence

Early childhood investment decisions represent critical policy frameworks that ideally reflect a strong evidence base. This review seeks to assess early childhood intervention priorities based on return on investment without limitation by health, education or social science sector.

Research

The relationship between parental mental health, reflective functioning coparenting and social emotional development in 0-3 year old children

The transition to parenthood is a high-risk period for many parents and is an important period for child development. Research has identified that parental mental health, reflective functioning (capacity to consider mental states of oneself and others) and coparenting (capacity to work together well as a parenting team) may be particularly significant predictors of later child outcomes, however these factors have seldom been considered together.

Research

The effects of birth spacing on early childhood development in high-income nations: A systematic review

This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the associations between birth spacing and developmental outcomes in early childhood (3–10 years of age). Studies examining the associations between interpregnancy intervals and child development outcomes during and beyond the perinatal period have not been systematically reviewed.