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Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social well-being, culture and early infant attachments

Although social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature. 

Autism likelihood in infants born to mothers with asthma is associated with blood inflammatory gene biomarkers in pregnancy

Mothers with asthma or atopy have a higher likelihood of having autistic children, with maternal immune activation in pregnancy implicated as a mechanism. This study aimed to determine, in a prospective cohort of mothers with asthma and their infants, whether inflammatory gene expression in pregnancy is associated with likelihood of future autism. 

Maternal Vaccination to Prevent Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: An Underutilized Molecular Immunological Intervention?

Adverse pregnancy outcomes including maternal mortality, stillbirth, preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction cause millions of deaths each year. More effective interventions are urgently needed. Maternal immunization could be one such intervention protecting the mother and newborn from infection through its pathogen-specific effects.

Supporting Maternal and Child Mental Health Through Dietary Changes Focused on the Gut Microbiota

Growing evidence from preclinical studies, epidemiology, and randomized controlled trials supports a causal role for diet quality in mental disorder risk, and clinical psychiatric guidelines now place diet, along with other life-style behaviors, as foundational treatment targets for mood disorders.

Aboriginal women lead design of maternal and child healthcare model

A group of 19 Aboriginal women from South Australia, along with researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia, have developed a culturally responsive, evidence-based model of care to support Aboriginal women with cardiometabolic complications in pregnancy in SA.

Bereaved parent involvement in co-designed stillbirth research: Experiences of Project Engage

While benefits of involving consumers in research are well established, bereaved parents face unique challenges, and descriptions of their experiences with co-designed stillbirth research are lacking. The collective experience of ‘Project Engage’ involved co-designing resources to support bereaved parents’ involvement in research.

Sex-Specific Effects of Birth Weight on Longitudinal Behavioral Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Approach Using Polygenic Scores

It is unclear whether sex differences in behavior arising from birth weight (BW) are genuine because of the cross-sectional nature and potential confounding in previous studies. We aimed to test whether sex differences associated with BW phenotype were reproducible using a Mendelian randomization approach, i.e., association between polygenic score (PGS) for BW and behavior outcomes across childhood and adolescence. 

Association between Congenital Anomalies and Late-Onset Bacterial Infections in Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Australia and New Zealand

Compromised neonatal intensive care unit neonates are at risk of acquiring late-onset infections (late-onset sepsis [LOS]). Neonates born with congenital anomalies could have an additional LOS risk. 

Perinatal Women’s Perspectives of, and Engagement in, Digital Emotional Well-Being Training: Mixed Methods Study

Psychological distress in the early postpartum period can have long-lasting deleterious effects on a mother's well-being and negatively affect her infant's development. Intervention approaches based in contemplative practices such as mindfulness and loving-kindness and compassion are intended to alleviate distress and cultivate well-being and can be delivered effectively as digital mental health interventions.

Data resource profile: the ORIGINS project databank: a collaborative data resource for investigating the developmental origins of health and disease

The ORIGINS Project (“ORIGINS”) is a longitudinal, population-level birth cohort with data and biosample collections that aim to facilitate research to reduce non-communicable diseases and encourage ‘a healthy start to life’. ORIGINS has gathered millions of datapoints and over 400,000 biosamples over 15 timepoints, antenatally through to five years of age, from mothers, non-birthing partners and the child, across four health and wellness domains.