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Not all children or teenagers identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. As a result, some may choose to change their name, their clothes or their body. With considerably higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and attempted suicide, the need for specialist mental health services has been recognised.

Immunisation is the most effective way of protecting your child against a range of serious illnesses, including measles, hepatitis B and whooping cough. All vaccines used in Australia undergo stringent testing and ongoing monitoring.

Vaccination is the injection of an inactivated bacteria or virus into the body. This simulated infection allows an individual's immune system to develop an adaptive immunity for protection against that type of illness. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, this results in herd immunity.

Influenza (commonly known as the flu) is caused by a highly contagious virus spread mainly through coughing and sneezing. An annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu outbreaks.

About 2 per cent of children are estimated to have an intellectual disability. The cause of the condition is unknown in at least 50 per cent of cases.

Meningitis is when the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges) become infected by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis.

The science that interprets the way nutrients and other substances in food affect maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease.

The importance of play for a child’s development is irrefutable. Playgroups provide a safe environment for children of similar ages to play and develop prior to starting school.

A severe neurodevelopmental disorder mostly affecting girls.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important cause of acquired cardiovascular disease in children and young adults. Virtually non-existent in most of Australia, it still predominantly affects Aboriginal communities.