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News & Events
Building strong foundations for healthy brain developmentAn InFocus Research Interview with Kirsten Hancock of the Human Capability Team at The Kids Research Institute Australia on multigenerational disadvantage in Australia.

News & Events
Great Southern to benefit from 10 year Early Years InitiativeNew ways to deliver more effective, evidenced-informed child development services will be forged through an innovative community partnership in the Central Great Southern.

News & Events
Aussie kids using strengths to overcome hurdlesThe Multiple Strength Indicator is a strength based measure that provides information on children’s developmental strengths as they commence full-time school.
Research
Associations between biological and sociodemographic risks for developmental vulnerability in twins at age 5: a population data linkage study in Western AustraliaTo investigate the prevalence of, and associations between, prenatal and perinatal risk factors and developmental vulnerability in twins at age 5.
Research
The education word gap emerges by 18 months: findings from an Australian prospective studyThe idea of the '30 million word gap' suggests families from more socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds engage in more verbal interactions with their child than disadvantaged families. Initial findings from the Language in Little Ones (LiLO) study up to 12 months showed no word gap between maternal education groups.
Research
Plasma Adenosine Deaminase (ADA)-1 and -2 Demonstrate Robust Ontogeny Across the First Four Months of Human LifeHuman adenosine deaminases (ADAs) modulate the immune response: ADA1 via metabolizing adenosine, a purine metabolite that inhibits pro-inflammatory and Th1 cytokine production, and the multi-functional ADA2, by enhancing T-cell proliferation and monocyte differentiation. Newborns are relatively deficient in ADA1 resulting in elevated plasma adenosine concentrations and a Th2/anti-inflammatory bias compared to adults.
Research
Research using population-based administration data integrated with longitudinal data in child protection settings: A systematic reviewOver the past decade there has been a marked growth in the use of linked population administrative data for child protection research. This is the first systematic review of studies to report on research design and statistical methods used where population-based administrative data is integrated with longitudinal data in child protection settings.
Research
Prevalence and risk factors of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region: a scoping review protocolFetal growth restriction, preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth are adverse birth outcomes that are prevalent in low-income and middle-income settings such as the Pacific Island region. It is widely accepted that the excess burden of adverse birth outcomes is attributable to socioeconomic and environmental factors that predispose families to excess risk. Our review seeks to determine the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region and to identify the risk factors of adverse birth outcomes in the Pacific Island region.
Research
Language and literacy in the context of early life adversityThis chapter considers the role of different forms of psychosocial adversity as risk factors for compromised language and literacy development in childhood and adolescence. Language skills play a central role in the development of prosocial interpersonal skills as well as promoting academic success through the transition to literacy.
Research
Exploring genotype-phenotype relationships in the CDKL5 deficiency disorder using an international datasetCharacterized by early-onset seizures, global developmental delay and severe motor deficits, CDKL5 deficiency disorder is caused by pathogenic variants in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene. Previous efforts to investigate genotype-phenotype relationships have been limited due to small numbers of recurrent mutations and small cohort sizes. Using data from the International CDKL5 Disorder Database we examined genotype-phenotype relationships for 13 recurrent CDKL5 variants and the previously analyzed historic variant groupings. We have applied the CDKL5 Developmental Score (CDS) and an adapted version of the CDKL5 Clinical Severity Assessment (CCSA), to grade the severity of phenotype and developmental outcomes for 285 individuals with CDKL5 variants.