Health Consequences For Mother And Baby Of Substantial Pre-conception Weight Loss In Obese Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$93,418.00
Summary
Obesity (BMI >30kg/m2) is now very common in women of child-bearing age.There is strong evidence that maternal obesity increases the rate of pregnancy complications, and affects the growth and well-being of the fetus in-utero. This project aims to determine how substantial pre-conception weight loss, achieved using a Very Low Energy Diet (VLED), impacts maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Health Coaching Intervention To Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$98,507.00
Summary
Excessive weight gain in pregnancy places women at a greater risk for the development of overweight and obesity. This study responds to the urgent need to design effective interventions to prevent excessive weight gain in pregnancy. A health coaching intervention has been designed to address this need, and its effectiveness will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial with first time pregnant women.
So Like Your Mum! Is The Health Of Mothers In Far North Queensland Reflected In The Nutrition And Growth Of Their Children In Early Life?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$96,631.00
Summary
The health, nutrition and growth of a baby reflect the health and nutrition status of its mother. We will link routine health service information for Indigenous mothers with information on the growth, haemoglobin and health of their young children to identify key factors in a mother’s pregnancy and before, influencing the future health and development of their babies. This study will shape interventions to improve the health of mothers, and thus improve the health of their children through life.
There is a link between maternal lipids and newborn weight as well as other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal lipids _ serum level, dietary intake and change in maternal lipids during pregnancy may be important in determining not only immediate pregnancy and newborn outcomes but also longer term problems for mother and child. As yet, we do not know whether altering maternal lipids will change outcomes or how to influence lipid levels in practice or how best to approach this.
Targeted Nanoparticle Delivery Of Agents To The Placenta To Treat Preeclampsia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,224.00
Summary
Preeclampsia, one of the most serious complications of pregnancy, affects around 3-8% of all pregnancies. Sadly, there is no treatment. We have developed a new technique to deliver treatments only to the placenta, sparing the mother and baby from side effects. We will test whether this technique can treat the source of preeclampsia, the placenta, in mouse models and human tissue samples in the laboratory. This work may offer possibilities of new treatments to other pregnancy complications.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious medical condition affecting 5% of pregnancies and resulting in significant mortality and morbidity for mothers and babies. As yet there is no acceptable test capable of detecting pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy and diagnosis is made when symptoms and signs are manifest and management options are limited to early delivery. This project is designed to assess the ability of a blood screening test to detect pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy to enable for early intervention ....Pre-eclampsia is a serious medical condition affecting 5% of pregnancies and resulting in significant mortality and morbidity for mothers and babies. As yet there is no acceptable test capable of detecting pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy and diagnosis is made when symptoms and signs are manifest and management options are limited to early delivery. This project is designed to assess the ability of a blood screening test to detect pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy to enable for early interventions and preventative management to be implemented.Read moreRead less
Uptake of fertility preservation procedures (eg. egg and embryo freezing) prior to cancer treatment is increasing and women will return to use these to try to conceive. Radiation may damage the uterus and there is insufficient evidence to guide the management of those exposed to intermediate doses. The aim is to improve understanding of radiation effects on the uterus which will assist clinicians with deciding whether it can support a pregnancy, or if surrogacy should be advised.
HtrA4-induced Endothelial Dysfunction In Early-onset Preeclampsia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,073.00
Summary
Preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy, is characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure in association with wide-spread endothelial dysfunction. Placenta-derived factors are believed to cause PE development. Our recent studies have identified that HtrA4, a placenta-specific serine protease may contribute to endothelial dysfunction. This study will investigate the mechanisms of HtrA4-induced endothelial dysfunction.
The Impact Of Maternal Nutrition And Depression On Infant Morbidity, Growth And Development In Vulnerable Populations.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,351.00
Summary
Malarial infection in pregnant women can lead to serious consequences for the baby including death, low birth weight and bacterial infection. Babies born in the community are more likely to die than babies born in hospital, therefore improving basic medical care for babies at the community level should be an important priority. We aim to evaluate the causes of death and severe illness in newborn infants in Papua New Guinea, and to determine community based strategies to improve these outcomes.
The Management Of Women With Type 1 Diabetes During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$50,741.00
Summary
Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes is associated with increased risks to the mother and baby and lower rates of breastfeeding. There is a relative paucity of published studies concerning the management of these women particularly in late pregnancy, immediately after delivery and during breastfeeding. Through a series of studies this project aims to address these areas of uncertainty and thereby improve the management of these women during these periods.