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Universal child health and early education service use from birth through Kindergarten and developmental vulnerability in the Preparatory Year (age 5 years) in Tasmania, Australia

This study investigated patterns of universal health and education service use from birth through Kindergarten (age 4 years) and estimated associations between cumulative risk and service use patterns, and between service use patterns and children's developmental vulnerability in the Preparatory Year (age 5 years).

Comparison of experiences in two birth cohorts comprising young families with children under four years during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in Australia and the UK: A qualitative study

This study aims to understand the experience and impact of the initial COVID-19 lock-down in young families with children aged below 4 years. Free text questions were administered to participants in the ORIGINS (Australia) and Born in Bradford (UK) cohort studies to collect qualitative information on worries, concerns and enjoyable experiences during the pandemic.

In “high-risk” infants with sufficient vitamin d status at birth, infant vitamin D supplementation had no effect on allergy outcomes: A randomized controlled trial

Early infancy oral vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce the development of early childhood allergic disease

Time to get serious about the detection and monitoring of early lung disease in cystic fibrosis

Structural and functional defects within the lungs of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are detectable soon after birth and progress throughout preschool years often without overt clinical signs or symptoms. By school age, most children have structural changes such as bronchiectasis or gas trapping/hypoperfusion and lung function abnormalities that persist into later life. Despite improved survival, gains in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) achieved across successive birth cohorts during childhood have plateaued, and rates of FEV1 decline in adolescence and adulthood have not slowed. This suggests that interventions aimed at preventing lung disease should be targeted to mild disease and commence in early life.

Annual Reports

The Wal-yan Centre’s Annual Reports highlight the achievements of our researchers, which bring us closer to our vision to ensure that all children have healthy lungs for life.

Clinical Associate Professor Mary Sharp

Honorary Research Associate

Quality of life is poorly correlated to lung disease severity in school-aged children with cystic fibrosis

There is no data exclusively on the relationship between health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and lung disease severity in early school-aged children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Using data from the Australian Respiratory Early Surveillance Team for Cystic Fibrosis (AREST CF) we assessed the relationships between HRQOL, lung function and structure.

Early life exposure to coal mine fire smoke emissions and altered lung function in young children

Infant exposure to coal mine fire emissions could be associated with long-term impairment of lung reactance

The clinical utility of lung clearance index in early cystic fibrosis lung disease is not impacted by the number of multiple-breath washout trials

This study aimed to determine if relationships between LCI and clinical outcomes of CF lung disease differ when only two acceptable MBW trials are assessed.

The next generation of impact in cystic fibrosis

Lung damage in children with CF occurs much earlier than previously thought, and proving this is related to the decline that occurs later will create new paradigms for prevention and treatment.