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Unlocking the immunology of whooping cough vaccines to guide the development of improved vaccines and schedules in Australia

Ruth Peter Thornton Richmond PhD MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group (BRIDG) Head, Vaccine Trials Group

Genomic testing for children with interstitial and diffuse lung disease (chILD): parent satisfaction, understanding and health-related quality of life

Research is needed to determine best practice for genomic testing in the context of child interstitial or diffuse lung disease. We explored parent's and child's health-related quality of life, parents' perceived understanding of a genomic testing study, satisfaction with information and the study and decisional regret to undertake genomic testing.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Play Active policy intervention and implementation support in early childhood education and care: a pragmatic cluster randomised trial protocol

Daily physical activity is critical during the early years of life for facilitating children's health and development. A large proportion of preschool children do not achieve the recommended 3 h of daily physical activity. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key setting to intervene to increase physical activity. There is a significant need for ECEC specific physical activity policy, including clearer guidelines on the amount of physical activity children should do during care, and strategies for implementation of these guidelines.

Dysregulated Notch Signaling in the Airway Epithelium of Children with Wheeze

The airway epithelium of children with wheeze is characterized by defective repair that contributes to disease pathobiology. Dysregulation of developmental processes controlled by Notch has been identified in chronic asthma. However, its role in airway epithelial cells of young children with wheeze, particularly during repair, is yet to be determined.

Targeting host-microbial interactions to develop otitis media therapies

Otitis media (OM; middle ear infection) is the most common reason for pre-school children to visit a doctor, be prescribed antimicrobials, or undergo surgery. Recent Cochrane reviews of clinical trials have identified that antibiotics and grommet surgery are only moderately effective in treating OM, with recurrent or persistent infection observed in one-third of children. Research efforts are focusing on developing improved therapies to treat OM and prevent disease recurrence.

Plasma secretory phospholipase A2 as an early marker for late-onset sepsis in preterm infants—a pilot study

Preterm infants are particularly susceptible to bacterial late-onset sepsis (LOS). Diagnosis by blood culture and inflammatory markers have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity and prolonged reporting times. There is an urgent need for more rapid, accurate adjunctive diagnostics in LOS to improve management and minimise antibiotic exposure.

Panel 4: Recent advances in understanding the natural history of the otitis media microbiome and its response to environmental pressures

Advances in understanding bacterial dynamics in the upper airway microbiome are driving development of microbiota-modifying therapies to prevent or treat disease

Australian Aboriginal children with otitis media have reduced antibody titers to specific nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae vaccine antigens

decreased serum IgG responses to NTHi outer membrane proteins may contribute to the development of chronic and severe OM in Australian Aboriginal children

The Contribution of Geogenic Particulate Matter to Lung Disease in Indigenous Children

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dust levels and health in Indigenous children in Western Australia

Safety and immunogenicity of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in a high-risk population: a randomised controlled trial of PCV in Papua New Guinean infants

Infant vaccination with 3 doses of PCV10 or PCV13 is safe and immunogenic in a highly endemic setting