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Research

Young children's use of blue spaces and the impact on their health, development and environmental awareness: A qualitative study from parents' perspectives

This study examined how families with young children access and use different types of blue spaces and the health and development benefits, and potential negative effects.

Research

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses improve resolution of genes and pathways influencing lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk

Lung-function impairment underlies chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predicts mortality. In the largest multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of lung function to date, comprising 580,869 participants, we identified 1,020 independent association signals implicating 559 genes supported by ≥2 criteria from a systematic variant-to-gene mapping framework. These genes were enriched in 29 pathways. Individual variants showed heterogeneity across ancestries, age and smoking groups, and collectively as a genetic risk score showed strong association with COPD across ancestry groups.

Research

Association of Achieving Time in Range Clinical Targets With Treatment Modality Among Youths With Type 1 Diabetes

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have demonstrated efficacy in adults and more recently in youths and older adults with type 1 diabetes. In adults with type 1 diabetes, the use of real-time CGM compared with intermittently scanned CGM was associated with improved glycemic control, but there are limited data available for youths. 

Research

Surgery for rheumatic heart disease in the Northern Territory, Australia, 1997-2016: what have we gained?

Between 1964 and 1996, the 10-year survival of patients having valve replacement surgery for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the Northern Territory, Australia, was 68%. As medical care has evolved since then, this study aimed to determine whether there has been a corresponding improvement in survival.

Research

Harnessing neuroplasticity to improve motor performance in infants with cerebral palsy: A study protocol for the GAME randomised controlled trial

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability of childhood worldwide. Historically the diagnosis was made between 12 and 24 months, meaning data about effective early interventions to improve motor outcomes are scant. In high-income countries, two in three children will walk. This evaluator-blinded randomised controlled trial will investigate the efficacy of an early and sustained Goals-Activity-Motor Enrichment approach to improve motor and cognitive skills in infants with suspected or confirmed CP.

Research

Inter-rater reliability and agreement of the General Movement Assessment and Motor Optimality Score-Revised in a large population-based sample

Prechtl's General Movement Assessment (GMA) at fidgety age (3-5 months) is a widely used tool for early detection of cerebral palsy. Further to GMA classification, detailed assessment of movement patterns at fidgety age is conducted with the Motor Optimality Score-Revised. 

Research

Modeling the potential health impact of prospective Strep A vaccines

The World Health Organization published the preferred product characteristics for a Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) vaccine in 2018. Based on these parameters for the age of vaccination, vaccine efficacy, duration of protection from vaccine-derived immunity, and vaccination coverage, we developed a static cohort model to estimate the projected health impact of Strep A vaccination at the global, regional, and national levels and by country-income category.

Research

Gender non-conformity in childhood and adolescence and mental health through to adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study, 1995-2018

Few studies have examined associations between gender non-conformity (GNC) in childhood or adolescence and mental health outcomes later in life. This study examined associations between GNC and mental health over multiple time points in childhood and adolescence, and GNC in childhood and/or adolescence and mental health in adulthood.

Research

Expert survey: safer research with parent survivors of child maltreatment

Intergenerational trauma research typically focuses on parent survivors. No specific guidelines are available for conducting research with parent survivors despite potentially unique risks. To investigate research safety with parent survivors, we conducted an online survey of 38 researchers regarding experiences of parent survivors in their research, precautions taken, ethical review experiences, and researchers’ mental health during the project(s). 

Research

The relationship between pitch contours in infant-directed speech and early signs of autism in infancy

Mother-infant interactions during the first year of life are crucial to healthy infant development. The infant-directed speech (IDS), and specifically pitch contours, used by mothers during interactions are associated with infant language and social development.