The perinatal journey: the process and impact of psychosocial assessment. This study of the process and impact of psychosocial assessment and depression screening during pregnancy and after birth will have immediate national application and benefit as Australian governments prepare policy to implement universal psychosocial assessment. Findings will provide evidence-based approaches to assessment and service delivery impacting positively on large numbers of Australian women who use maternity and ....The perinatal journey: the process and impact of psychosocial assessment. This study of the process and impact of psychosocial assessment and depression screening during pregnancy and after birth will have immediate national application and benefit as Australian governments prepare policy to implement universal psychosocial assessment. Findings will provide evidence-based approaches to assessment and service delivery impacting positively on large numbers of Australian women who use maternity and early childhood nursing services. Most importantly, skillful early identification of women in distress or 'at risk' is the first step in providing appropriate services and support to ensure better child outcomes. The research will be at the cutting edge internationally and directly addresses National Research Priorities.Read moreRead less
Establishing Breastfeeding: an analysis of the language and practices used by midwives and lactation consultants when interacting with new mothers. Breastfeeding confers extensive health benefits for infants and women, and social and economic benefits for Australian society. Studies indicate that although 80 to 90 percent of women initiate breastfeeding, approximately 25% cease within the first six weeks. It is estimated that if the prevalence of breastfeeding at three months post-birth increase ....Establishing Breastfeeding: an analysis of the language and practices used by midwives and lactation consultants when interacting with new mothers. Breastfeeding confers extensive health benefits for infants and women, and social and economic benefits for Australian society. Studies indicate that although 80 to 90 percent of women initiate breastfeeding, approximately 25% cease within the first six weeks. It is estimated that if the prevalence of breastfeeding at three months post-birth increased from 60% to 80%, a saving of at least $11.5 million would be made to the Australian health system. This study will provide knowledge about the impact of health professionals' practices on women's infant-feeding decisions, identifying effective components of professional support to inform interventions that increase breastfeeding durationRead moreRead less
A study of contemporary family, social and cultural influences on first-time mothers' decisions about infant feeding and early parenting practices. Children who are never breastfed are more likely to experience respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, diabetes and as adults, high blood pressure, obesity and type-2 diabetes. This study of infant feeding decision-making in first-time mothers will inform strategies, grounded in the daily lives of women and families to assist mothers to breastfeed f ....A study of contemporary family, social and cultural influences on first-time mothers' decisions about infant feeding and early parenting practices. Children who are never breastfed are more likely to experience respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, diabetes and as adults, high blood pressure, obesity and type-2 diabetes. This study of infant feeding decision-making in first-time mothers will inform strategies, grounded in the daily lives of women and families to assist mothers to breastfeed for longer particularly in communities where breastfeeding is not the norm. Increased support for breastfeeding women from family, community and health professionals is likely to reduce the distress reported by many new mothers. Strategic application of findings will lead to health gains from increased breastfeeding and translate into significant cost savings for the Australian health system. Read moreRead less
Intelligent Decision Support for Neonatal Analysis and Trend Detection. Nearly five percent of newborn babies require intensive care after birth. Several electronic instruments monitor a baby's vital signs such as blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate. A major limitation in neonatal clinical management is that the physiological data generated by the monitors is not extracted to provide an integrated picture of the baby's condition or to enable detection of trends and patterns in clinical a ....Intelligent Decision Support for Neonatal Analysis and Trend Detection. Nearly five percent of newborn babies require intensive care after birth. Several electronic instruments monitor a baby's vital signs such as blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate. A major limitation in neonatal clinical management is that the physiological data generated by the monitors is not extracted to provide an integrated picture of the baby's condition or to enable detection of trends and patterns in clinical and real-time physiological data. This project will develop a methodology and technology that supports neonatal analysis incorporating a framework to mine data for trend detection, resulting in higher survival rates.Read moreRead less
Multi-dimensional Temporal Abstraction to Support Neonatal Clinical Research. Each year, the death of a baby causes grief for thousands of Australian parents, contributes to depression and considerable anxiety in the population. In this work we propose procedures that will significantly reduce this unhappy scenario. The availability of a complex trend and pattern analysis will give Neonatologists access to predictive clinical analysis that has not previously been available locally or internation ....Multi-dimensional Temporal Abstraction to Support Neonatal Clinical Research. Each year, the death of a baby causes grief for thousands of Australian parents, contributes to depression and considerable anxiety in the population. In this work we propose procedures that will significantly reduce this unhappy scenario. The availability of a complex trend and pattern analysis will give Neonatologists access to predictive clinical analysis that has not previously been available locally or internationally. Thus, significant benefits in terms of lower mortality rates and lower long-term disability rates among babies requiring special care is possible. This research will provide the basis for future projects that will support regional hospitals.Read moreRead less
High Frequency Data Stream Event Correlation for Complex Neonatal Medical Alerts. Nearly twenty percent of newborn babies require intensive care after birth. Several electronic instruments monitor a baby's vital signs such as blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate. A major limitation in neonatal clinical management is that the data generated by these monitors is not integrated to enable the alerting of condition deterioration or early warning of possible condition onset. This project will d ....High Frequency Data Stream Event Correlation for Complex Neonatal Medical Alerts. Nearly twenty percent of newborn babies require intensive care after birth. Several electronic instruments monitor a baby's vital signs such as blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate. A major limitation in neonatal clinical management is that the data generated by these monitors is not integrated to enable the alerting of condition deterioration or early warning of possible condition onset. This project will develop a methodology and technology that supports the cross correlation of neonatal clinical and physiological data for complex neonatal medical alerts, through the use of agents within an event stream processor, resulting in higher survival rates.Read moreRead less
A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Th ....A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. The findings will inform effective multidisciplinary collaboration and service integration, address service gaps and duplication and lead to increased access to services. This study will generate new knowledge about characteristics of organisations, service delivery and professions that facilitate or hinder innovation.Read moreRead less