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Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, but the effects of early life exposure to acute, high-intensity pollution on later lung function remain poorly understood. We assessed the association between prenatal or infant exposure to fire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from a six-week coal mine fire and subsequent lung function.
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are prevalent among First Nations peoples in Australia. In Western Australia (WA), notification of ARF and RHD to the WA RHD register is mandatory and supports follow-up care. However, previous studies from rural WA have reported incomplete notification, suggesting gaps in surveillance and hospital-registry linkage.
The Western Australian paediatric ESCALATION system, integrating family involvement, promotes early recognition and response to a hospitalised child's deteriorating health. This study aimed to understand healthcare professionals' experiences of Aboriginal parent/carer involvement in detecting clinical deterioration in the hospital.
There is a paucity of longitudinal research comparing early-life mental health in rural and metropolitan communities. Living in rural areas is associated with limited access to specialist care, as well as additional stresses such as natural disasters. To address health disparities for rural communities it is critical to understand variance in predictors and outcomes for child mental health.
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is widely recognized for supporting children's development and school readiness; however, evidence from Western Australia remains limited.
Rishi S. Kotecha MB ChB (Hons) MRCPCH FRACP PhD Co-Head, Leukaemia Translational Research rishi.kotecha@health.wa.gov.au Co-Head, Leukaemia
Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) has been linked to response-focused emotion regulation in adulthood. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. This pre-registered study examined whether shame mediates the association between CEA history and aversive cognitive perseveration (ACP), including brooding rumination, experiential avoidance and emotional non-acceptance, in adulthood.
The potential implementation of early type 1 diabetes (T1D) detection pathways, encompassing autoantibody screening and longitudinal monitoring, raises important psychosocial considerations for ethical, person-centred care. This review summarises evidence on the psychosocial impact of early T1D detection, identifying key evidence gaps and recommendations for integrating psychosocial support.
Functional studies of how early-life interventions shape the airway microbiome remain scarce. Here, we performed metagenomic sequencing of 704 longitudinal nasal swabs from infants with and without cystic fibrosis (CF) to construct and characterize a non-redundant gene atlas of the infant nasal microbiome. We aimed to determine how the nasal microbiome is perturbed by early therapies, as CF is commonly treated with inhaled hypertonic saline to improve mucociliary clearance.
Allergic diseases are rising worldwide, especially in childhood, and their clinical diversity increasingly exposes the limits of traditional phenotype-based classifications. Genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, epithelial barrier biology, and immune pathways interact to shape highly variable disease trajectories and treatment responses. In this context, precision medicine is no longer only an aspirational concept, but a practical effort to define meaningful endotypes, identify clinically useful biomarkers, and connect biological insight to prevention and care.