Search
An outline of ORIGINS sub-projects by name
Investigating school readiness in ORIGINS' five-year-olds
News & Events
It’s not just physical illness that will have an impact: A ground-breaking study is investigating the effect of COVID-19 on community wellbeingIn an Australian-first study, researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia are investigating the effects of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of more than 2,000 families in the northern suburbs of Perth, measuring their perceived stress, financial hardship and family functioning during the pandemic.
The BioMood project will study how following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy affects the gut microbiome, metabolism, and inflammation, with the expectation that it will promote a healthier microbiome and better mental health.
Research
Feasibility of home-based urine collection in children under 5 years in the ORIGINS birth cohort study: mixed method protocol and sample completion resultsUrine is an attractive biospecimen for nutritional status and population health surveys. It is an excellent non-invasive alternative to blood for appropriate biomarkers in young children and is suitable for home-based collection, enabling representative collections across a population. However, the bulk of literature in this population is restricted to collection in primary care settings.
Research
Feasibility of conducting an early pregnancy diet and lifestyle e-health intervention: The Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity Nutrition (PLAN) projectA lifestyle intervention starting in the first-trimester pregnancy utilising e-health mode of delivery is feasible
Research
“Coronavirus Changed the Rules on Everything”: Parent Perspectives on How the COVID‐19 Pandemic Influenced Family Routines, Relationships and Technology Use in Families with InfantsThis study explores how the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic influenced family routines, relationships and technology use (smartphones and tablet computers) among families with infants. Infancy is known to be an important period for attachment security and future child development, and a time of being susceptible to changes within and outside of the family unit.
Research
The impact a Mediterranean Diet in the third trimester of pregnancy has on neonatal body fat percentageMaternal diet during pregnancy has long been recognised as an important determinant of neonatal outcomes and child development. Infant body composition is a potentially modifiable risk factor for predicting future health and metabolic disease.
Research
Epigenomic variability is associated with age-specific naïve CD4 T cell response to activation in infants and adolescentsChildhood is a critical period of immune development. During this time, naïve CD4 T cells undergo programmed cell differentiation, mediated by epigenetic changes, in response to external stimuli leading to a baseline homeostatic state that may determine lifelong disease risk. However, the ontogeny of epigenetic signatures associated with CD4 T cell activation during key developmental periods are yet to be described.
The ultimate goal of ORIGINS is to reduce the rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases through 'a healthy start to life'.