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Iron Deficiency in Young Australian Children: A Hidden Health Crisis Demanding Urgent Action

Desiree Silva MBBS, FRACP, MPH, PhD Co-Director, ORIGINS desiree.silva@thekids.org.au Co-Head, The ORIGINS Project Professor Desiree Silva is

A cross-sectional audit of the Australian community food environment highlights the prominent role of chain food outlets

Food retail and food service outlets can be part of a chain, or independently operated. Chain food outlets are likely to have the most influence over community food environments but have not been routinely identified in studies which map and monitor access to food, highlighting an important knowledge gap. This study aimed to identify the food retail and food service outlets present within metropolitan Perth, including presence of chain and independent food outlets; and examine differences across local governments. 

Impact of the Play Active policy intervention on early childhood educator's sedentary behaviour-related practices, psychosocial influences and meeting policy recommendations

High levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with poor child health outcomes such as obesity. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are a key intervention setting. Most ECEC policy-based interventions focus on children's nutrition and physical activity with few aimed at children's sedentary behaviour.

Auditory-cued exercise therapy (ACET) in 7–12-year-old children with listening difficulties–a feasibility and pilot trial protocol

(Central) Auditory Processing Disorder ([C]APD) is an umbrella term for children who have difficulty with listening, despite normal hearing. Children with (C)APD frequently experience academic, behavioural, emotional, cognitive and social difficulties, and lack accessible, long-lasting wholistic treatments. Hence, a transdisciplinary intervention has been developed – Auditory-Cued Exercise Therapy. 

FeBRILe3: Caregiver Satisfaction With Early Discharge of Febrile Infants Under 3 Months Old

Although evidence supports clinicians to "safely do less" for febrile infants assessed as low risk of serious bacterial infection (SBI), early discharge may increase caregiver concern and reduce satisfaction with care. We captured the self-reported satisfaction and concerns for families enrolled in the study of fever, blood cultures and readiness for discharge in infants less than 3 months old (FeBRILe3), a prospective safety assessment of early discharge of low-risk febrile infants, to aid evaluation of this practice. 

Longitudinal Study of Language of Twins at Ages 9 and 14 Years: Twinning, Zygosity, and Heritability

This unprecedented longitudinal twin study focused on the arc of language acquisition from first words to adolescence, with data collection at 2, 4, and 6 years of age, reported in four previous studies and now new data at ages 9 and 14 years.

Global, regional, and national burden of meningitis, its risk factors, and aetiologies, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Meningitis remains the leading infectious cause of neurological disabilities globally, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years and populations in the African meningitis belt. Whereas previous global estimates focused on ten pathogen categories, this study presents the most comprehensive analysis to date, assessing the meningitis burden attributable to 17 causative pathogens based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 framework.

Glucose Metrics During School Hours in Primary School-Aged Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study

School time represents a significant component of overall glycaemia for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and glucose levels during instructional time may be important for optimising academic progress. There is, however, limited literature regarding glycaemia during school hours. This study aimed to evaluate glucose levels during school in primary school-aged children with T1D in Western Australia (WA) and to compare these with non-school days.

Model-informed precision dosing of vancomycin in children 3 months to 18 years of age using Australia-wide data

Vancomycin is used to treat serious gram-positive infections in children; however, effective dosing information for those aged 3 months to 18 years is limited. We aimed to determine an optimized dosing strategy for this age group.

Co-designing a new clinical pathway to support families with children identified as having early-stage type 1 diabetes in Western Australia

Children with early-stage (pre-symptomatic) type 1 diabetes are currently identified primarily via research-based screening programmes in Australia. Once identified, families live with the knowledge that their child has an increased chance of developing symptomatic, lifelong, insulin-requiring type 1 diabetes but have no specific clinical pathway available to them in Western Australia for accessing tailored support or education. This project aimed to co-design a new clinical pathway to address this unmet need.