Skip to content

Search

Clinical Predictors of Longitudinal Respiratory Exacerbation Outcomes in Young Hospitalised Children

Respiratory infection and wheezing illness are leading causes of hospitalisation in childhood, placing a significant burden on families and healthcare systems. However, reliably distinguishing children at risk of developing persistent disease from those likely to outgrow their symptoms remains a clinical challenge. Earlier identification would allow clinicians to focus care and resources on those most likely to benefit from long-term management, while reducing anxiety and uncertainty about the future for families.

Carbon dioxide overload, detected in human blood, suggests a potentially toxic atmosphere within 50 years

Anthropogenic activities are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. There is mounting experimental evidence that lifetime exposure to these increasing atmospheric CO2 levels can negatively impact the normal physiology of organisms. However, directly assessing this in humans is very difficult. 

Climate change policies fail to protect child health

National policies are essential for countries to adapt to the negative health impacts of climate change. Children are disproportionately affected by these impacts and must be at the heart of adaptation policies to address their vulnerabilities. Adaptation commitments worldwide are integrated into national adaptation plans, nationally determined contributions, national communications, and other multisectoral policies. We aimed to evaluate how effectively national climate change policies worldwide plan to protect child health, considering a range of determinants for successful child-health adaptation.

Sex assigned at birth may modify health-related quality of life in children treated with peanut oral immunotherapy

The high burden of peanut allergy underscores the need for treatment options that improve patient health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, the modifying effect of sex assigned at birth on treatment-related outcomes remains poorly understood. We sought to investigate whether sex modifies treatment effect on the change in overall and subdomain HRQL during the PPOIT-003 trial.

What goes up must come down: dynamics of type 1 interferon signaling across the lifespan

Type 1 interferons (T1IFNs) are typically expressed in low concentrations under homeostatic conditions, but upon pathogenic insult or perturbation of the pathway, these critical immune signaling molecules can become either protectors from or drivers of pathology. While essential for initiating antiviral defense and modulating inflammation, dysregulation of T1IFN signaling can contribute to immunopathology, making it and its associated pathways prime targets for immune evasion and disruption by pathogens. 

Guiding practice principles for clinicians who work with Indigenous people

Culturally safe healthcare approaches are important to improve outcomes of Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous clinicians are often ill-prepared to provide such healthcare. The NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) especially for First Nations Children has been studying for several years how to improve clinical care for Indigenous children with respiratory disease in hospital, clinic, urban, rural and remote settings. 

The effect of moderate-to-late preterm birth on lung function over the first 5 years of life in a South African birth cohort

Preterm birth is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, particularly due to lung disease. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have the highest rates of preterm birth. Infants born extremely preterm rarely survive, so the largest burden is amongst moderate-to-late preterm (MLP) infants. The long-term health impact on MLP children in LMIC is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of MLP birth on lung function trajectories from birth to 5 years in the Drakenstein Child Health Study.

First global synthesis of heat-related mental health impacts in children and young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of non-optimal temperatures and heatwaves, posing risks to public health, especially for children and young people. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impacts of (i) non-optimal ambient temperatures and (ii) heatwaves on mental health outcomes in this group globally.

Chlorinated drinking water exposure enriches antimicrobial resistance pathways in the infant gut microbiome: a randomized trial

Water chlorination is essential for controlling harmful microbes in drinking water; however, the antimicrobial effects of chlorine-based disinfectants present in tap water may influence early-life gut microbial ecology.

Corrigendum to: “COVID-19 monitoring with sparse sampling of sewered and non-sewered wastewater in urban and rural communities” [iScience, Volume 26, Issue 7 (2023) 107019]

Anthony Kicic BSc (Hons) PhD Head, Airway Epithelial Research; WA Cystic Fibrosis Research Collaborative Program Fellowship; Stan Perron Charitable