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Reports and Findings

Research

Psychosocial disadvantage and residential remoteness is associated with Aboriginal women's mental health prior to childbirth

Optimal mental health in the pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum periods is important for both maternal and infant wellbeing. Few studies, however, have focused on Indigenous women and the specific risk and protective factors that may prompt vulnerability to perinatal mental disorders in this culturally diverse population.

Research

Antimicrobial stewardship in remote primary healthcare across northern Australia

The high burden of infectious disease and associated antimicrobial use likely contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in remote Australian Aboriginal communities. We aimed to develop and apply context-specific tools to audit antimicrobial use in the remote primary healthcare setting.

Research

Machine Learning-Based DNA Methylation Score for Fetal Exposure to Maternal Smoking

Fetal exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with the development of noncommunicable diseases in the offspring. Maternal smoking may induce such long-term effects through persistent changes in the DNA methylome, which therefore hold the potential to be used as a biomarker of this early life exposure. With declining costs for measuring DNA methylation, we aimed to develop a DNA methylation score that can be used on adolescent DNA methylation data and thereby generate a score for in utero cigarette smoke exposure.

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

Wellbeing study

Burns are a common cause of emergency presentations, and most burn injuries happen to children and adolescents.

Research

SHIP CT: A Phase 3 randomised, double-blind, controlled trial of inhaled 7% hypertonic saline versus 0.9% isotonic saline for 48 weeks in patients with Cystic Fibrosis at 3-6 years of age in parallel with the North American SHIP clinical trial.

SHIP-CT, led by Professor Stephen Stick, Director of the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre at The Kids, is a unique study in preschool-aged children (from 3-6 years of age) with CF using images of the lung from chest CT scans as the main outcome measure.

Research

DEFEND CF: Biomarkers to define the treatment end-point for pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis

Stephen Graham Stick Hall MB BChir PhD MRCP FRACP BAppSci PhD CRFS FANZSRS FThorSoc FERS Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Honorary Research Associate Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Honorary Research Associate Areas for research expertise:

Research

AREST CF Early Surveillance Program

Stephen Stick MB BChir PhD MRCP FRACP Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Areas for research expertise: Research Interests; Paediatric respiratory disease; Cystic fibrosis; Respiratory epithelium; Lung

Research

BANK CF: The Respiratory Centre BIOBANK

Stephen Stick MB BChir PhD MRCP FRACP Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Head, P4 Respiratory Health for Kids Areas for research expertise: Research Interests; Paediatric respiratory disease; Cystic fibrosis; Respiratory epithelium; Lung

Research

COMBAT CF: A phase 3 multi-centre randomized placebo-controlled study of azithromycin in the primary prevention of radiologically-defined bronchiectasis in infants with cystic fibrosis.

A phase 3 multi-centre randomized placebo-controlled study of azithromycin in the primary prevention of radiologically-defined bronchiectasis in infants with cystic fibrosis