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Four The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have received prestigious fellowships and four significant cohort studies led or co-led by The Kids have received key grants under two new funding programs supported by the State Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.

Four The Kids Research Institute Australia-based biobanks which underpin a range of cancer, respiratory and early life research have received more than $450,000 in funding.

In an Australian-first study, researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia are investigating the effects of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of more than 2,000 families in the northern suburbs of Perth, measuring their perceived stress, financial hardship and family functioning during the pandemic.

Many parents may be feeling anxious and confused about what COVID-19 means for pregnant women, babies and children.

ORIGINS, the largest longitudinal cohort study of its kind in Australia, delivered in partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia and Joondalup Health Campus, has received $1.5 million funding from the Minderoo Foundation.

First-of-its-kind findings show that newborns exclusively fed colostrum in their first 72 hours of life were five times less likely to develop a peanut allergy by 12-18 months, and 11 times less likely to develop multiple food allergies (such as egg or cow’s milk) compared with infants who also received formula

ORIGINS Co-Director, Dr Jackie Davis, collaborated with researchers at The Kids to develop and pilot the Mums Minds Matter study.

A substantial funding boost from the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation will help to further extend one of Australia’s biggest longitudinal child health research studies centred around families from the Joondalup and Wanneroo communities.

The ecology of the early environment - including microbial diversity, nutrition, nature, social interactions and the totality of exposures in the wider "exposome" - have life-long implications for all aspects of health and resilience. In particular, the emergence of "microbiome science" provides new evidence for vital relationships between biodiversity and health at every level.

The transition to motherhood, although joyous, can be highly stressful, and the availability of professional postpartum support for mothers is often limited. Peer volunteer support programs may offer a viable and cost-effective method to provide community-based support for new mothers. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a peer volunteer support program-The Mummy Buddy Program-in which experienced volunteer mothers are paired with, and trained to offer social support to, first-time mothers.