Child Health

Every child’s early experiences have a significant impact on their learning, development, health and future prospects. We recognise that the support that children and young people receive early in life is critical for their long-term health and wellbeing, educational, social and economic outcomes as adults.

Our programs of research in child health and wellbeing are extensive and span areas of health and social care. In the area of children's health we undertake world-leading research relating to learning and communication in children with cochlear implants, advances in bilateral and binaural hearing; the assessment of pain in preverbal children; the physiology of the neonate/parent interaction; improving the safety and quality of care of hospitalized children, and advances in child physiotherapy.

We are committed to supporting children's care undertaking applied research that addresses some of our most pressing social concerns, for example, understanding the dynamics of child abuse and family violence, and developing and embedding social innovations that make a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable children.

Groups / Projects Research Lead Dept / Centre
Asymptomatic thrombosis following the use of central venous lines in children Project Leader Professor Fiona Newall Nursing
Building Evidence with Support to Transform (BEST) Practice Program Project Leader Professor Fiona Newall Nursing
Centre of Research Excellence – Newborn Medicine Project Leader Dr Alicia Spittle Physiotherapy
Children Dr Alicia Spittle
Physiotherapy
Collaboration for Improving Children’s Lives in the 21st Century: Rights focused, evidence based, impact driven Project Leader Associate Professer Louise Harms Social Work
Diagnosis and management of Auditory Processing Disorder Principle Investigator Dani Tomlin Audiology and Speech Pathology
Domestic and family violence and parenting: mixed method insights into impact and support needs Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Early detection and intervention for infants at high risk of motor impairments Project Leader Dr Alicia Spittle Physiotherapy
Family Links: Kinship care and family contact Dr Meredith Kiraly, MBSc PhD Social Work
Fathering Challenges: Responsible, Responsive and Reparative Fathering Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Improving contact between children in out-of-home care and their birth parents Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Infant, Child and Adolescent Health Professor Fiona Newall
Nursing
Invisible Practices: Intervention with fathers who use violence Social Work
Motor trajectories of children born <30 weeks’ gestation from birth to 5 years: early predictors and functional outcome Project Leader Dr Alicia Spittle Physiotherapy
Partnership for Innovation in Out-of-home Care Professor Marie Connolly
Social Work
The feasibility of smart-phones in the early detection of cerebral palsy Project Leader Dr Alicia Spittle Physiotherapy
The PATRICIA Project: PAthways And Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency working Project Leader Professor Cathy Humphreys Social Work
Towards improved communication for medication safety: addressing the complexities managing medications in hospitalised children Project Leader Professor Fiona Newall Nursing
Web-based preventive care intervention for preterm infants and their families – e-prem trial Project Leader Dr Alicia Spittle Physiotherapy

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