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A small number of babies die unexpectedly while still in the womb: the numbers are much higher than those dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Some of these babies slow their movements down in the days before death. It would be very helpful to be able to accurately monitor babies' movements in the womb so that we could help the few babies who need it, and so prevent poor outcomes. Mothers feel their babies moving, but it's often hard for them to pick up all the movements that do occur ....A small number of babies die unexpectedly while still in the womb: the numbers are much higher than those dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Some of these babies slow their movements down in the days before death. It would be very helpful to be able to accurately monitor babies' movements in the womb so that we could help the few babies who need it, and so prevent poor outcomes. Mothers feel their babies moving, but it's often hard for them to pick up all the movements that do occur. The best way of measuring babies' movements is during an ultrasound. However, that's expensive and means that the pregnant mother needs to lie still for about half an hour to have this testing done. We are developing a way of recording babies' movements, which still lets the pregnant woman continue with her normal activities. We will do this using an AMBULATORY FETAL ACTIVITY MONITOR, which is an accelerometer, like an advanced pedometer. The ambulatory fetal activity monitor will measure the activity of the unborn baby during pregnancy, looking at the number of times s-he moves and how simple or complex the movements are. We expect that the unborn baby who is not getting enough nutrition during the pregnancy will have fewer movements than other unborn babies. This project involves checking that movements picked up by the ambulatory fetal activity monitor are the same as movements seen on an ultrasound. We will then monitor a large number of pregnant women with healthy and possibly unhealthy babies, to help identify the babies who need help. Once we have this information, we will be able to use it in the future to possibly prevent poor outcomes in those babies who do need help.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Determinants Of Fetal Growth In Aboriginal Western Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$399,179.00
Summary
We will study birth and disease records over 3 generations of Aboriginal families to investigate how a mother’s birth weight and her diseases in pregnancy influence both her reproductive health and her risk of chronic diseases (eg heart disease and diabetes) later in life. This world-first study will guide effective prevention of chronic disease in Aboriginal Australians; it may suggest that prevention needs to start with grand-mothers rather than in later generations.
The Consequences Of Innate Anti-viral Effector Responses On Reproductive Outcomes In Placental Mammals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$328,060.00
Summary
The mother's immune system can tolerate the growth of an ostensibly foreign fetus during pregnancy. We will investigate whether exposure to viral infections either just before or during pregnancy can result in reduced fertility and whether it may affect fetal growth and development. These results will contribute in designing effective interventions to limit any potential detrimental outcomes.
Asking QUestions About Alcohol In Pregnancy (AQUA): Longitudinal Cohort Study Of The Effects Of Low And Moderate Doses Of Alcohol Exposure On The Fetus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,368,294.00
Summary
National alcohol guidelines advise women to have no alcohol in pregnancy. However, many find they are unexpectedly pregnant and have been drinking, leading to considerable anxiety. While evidence is clear that heavy drinking is bad for the unborn baby, no-one knows for sure if low or even moderate levels of alcohol in pregnancy are harmful. We will study this important public health problem, following a group of pregnant women through their pregnancy and until their child is two years.
I am a general paediatrician involved in national epidemiological and clinical research about a range of childhood conditions in Australia. I also have expetise in research translation into the
Vitamin D In Pregnancy And Growth Of The Offspring.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$168,550.00
Summary
Vitamin D is a potent steroid hormone required for bone growth and mineralisation, and there is evidence that it regulates cell proliferation. Insufficiency in pregnant women is a cause for concern. The role of vitamin D in human fetal development has been little investigated. At the severe end of the maternal vitamin D insufficiency spectrum, a very small number of deficient neonates have congenital rickets. Low maternal vitamin D status has also been associated with neonatal hypocalcaemia and ....Vitamin D is a potent steroid hormone required for bone growth and mineralisation, and there is evidence that it regulates cell proliferation. Insufficiency in pregnant women is a cause for concern. The role of vitamin D in human fetal development has been little investigated. At the severe end of the maternal vitamin D insufficiency spectrum, a very small number of deficient neonates have congenital rickets. Low maternal vitamin D status has also been associated with neonatal hypocalcaemia and defective tooth enamel. Randomised trials have shown that giving vitamin D to deficient women significantly improves their offspring's birth size and length at a year of age, in one study even though all infants were given vitamin D supplements post-natally. We do not understand the nature of the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and offspring growth. There could be a continuous association, or a threshold vitamin D level below which offspring growth is impaired. If the latter is the case, that threshold value needs to be known. Furthermore, we do not know whether maternal vitamin D level in early or late gestation is most influential in terms of fetal and infant growth. Raised maternal parathyroid hormone (PTH) level is a marker of disturbed vitamin D metabolism. There is evidence that offspring are shorter with increasing level of maternal PTH. In a study in Geelong, 63% of 20-45 year old women tested in winter, and 32% tested in summer, had vitamin D levels in the range where PTH rises. Thus a significant proportion of women may have insufficient vitamin D, in early or late pregnancy, to sustain optimal fetal growth. These issues are important for the health of mothers and their offspring, and there are public health implications, in terms of maternal health and possibly later health of the offspring. These issues have not been investigated in Australia or elsewhere, and this is a novel and important study.Read moreRead less
Breaking The Intergenerational Cycle Of Obesity Through Nutritional Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,180.00
Summary
The nutritional environmental experienced by an individual before birth and in early infancy is a critical determinant of their risk of obesity and assocaited metabolic disorders in later life. Over the course of this fellowship, I will focus on defining the nutritional factors which are the key drivers of this metabolic programming. My ultimate aim is to identify nutritional interventions during pregnancy and/or early infancy which can improve the long-term health outcomes of the child and redu
Improving The Outcomes For Mothers And Babies After IVF Using Big Data Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$309,754.00
Summary
This Fellowship by using an array of modern and advanced research methods will evaluate whether IVF is safer and more effective by freezing embryos and transferring them in a subsequent menstrual cycle as compared to transferring the embryo in the same cycle where ovarian stimulation and egg collection have been performed. It will provide high quality evidence that will allow clinicians and patients to make informed choices regarding the safest IVF method for the health of mothers and babies.