An early-stage type 1 diabetes clinic radically improving care and support for children navigating a new diagnosis and a penicillin breakthrough transforming rheumatic heart disease treatment are among a suite of scientific advances showcased in The Kids Research Institute Australia’s 2025 Impact Report.
Coinciding with the Institute’s 35th year of research to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families, the 2025 Impact Report celebrates research which has been translated into policy or practice, and which has led to a paradigm shift in the way we respond to childhood health and wellbeing.
The Kids Executive Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said over the past three-and-a-half decades, the Institute had made life-changing discoveries, developed evidence-based solutions to major health problems and used the latest technology to find answers to the biggest problems for children and young people.
“Our world-leading researchers have identified early intervention programs for children with developmental delays, found that folic acid in a mother’s diet before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects, played a pivotal role in the in the introduction of world-first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation that has saved many lives and prevented hundreds of babies being hospitalised, and identified that new immunotherapy in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy improved survival rates for babies with leukaemia,” Professor Carapetis said.
“Our latest Impact Report showcases our most recent scientific achievements including a large-scale study which has halved the rate of skin infections experienced by Aboriginal children living in remote communities.
“If left untreated, skin infections can cause life-threatening illnesses including rheumatic heart disease and kidney disease, so the impact of this research is significant in improving the long-term health of these children.
“The report also features research findings that introducing peanut butter and eggs to a baby’s diet from six months of age can significantly reduce the chances of them developing life-threatening allergies.
“As one of Australia’s largest medical research institutes dedicated to child health, The Kids is committed to solving the biggest problems for children and families through co-designed, high-quality science.”
Our 2025 Impact Report can be found below. You can also view past Impact reports or browse our Annual Reports.