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Pneumococcal carriage, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility in Papua New Guinean children vaccinated with PCV10 or PCV13 in a head-to-head trialChildren in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are at high risk of pneumococcal infections. We investigated pneumococcal carriage rates, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial susceptibility in PNG children after vaccination with 10-valent or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10; PCV13).
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Psychosocial and neurocognitive correlates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours amongst siblings of persons with and without neurodevelopmental conditionsSiblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) have greater incidence of neuropsychiatric diagnoses and neurocognitive difficulties compared to siblings of persons without NDCs. Despite suicidality being labelled a global health crisis (WHO, 2014) and NDC siblings experiencing risk factors implicated in suicidality, no previous studies examined suicidality amongst adolescent and young adult siblings of persons with NDCs. Our study aimed to bridge this gap.
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FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development Guidances: Considerations for Trial Readiness in Rare Developmental and Epileptic EncephalopathiesDevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) are rare, often monogenic neurodevelopmental conditions. Most affected individuals have refractory seizures. All have multiple severe impairments which can be as life-limiting as or more limiting than the seizures themselves. Mechanism- and gene-targeted therapies for these individually rare, genetic conditions hold hope for treatment, amelioration of disease expression, and even cure.
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Use of privacy-preserving record linkage to examine the dispensing of pharmaceutical benefits scheme medicines to pregnant women in Western AustraliaMedications are commonly used during pregnancy to manage pre-existing conditions and conditions that arise during pregnancy. However, not all medications are safe to use in pregnancy. This study utilized privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) to examine medications dispensed under the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to pregnant women in Western Australia (WA) overall and by medication safety category.
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Self-Reported Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Biopsychosocial Risk Factors in Siblings of Individuals with Neurodevelopmental ConditionsSiblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions are situated within a complex system of risk and resilience factors for poor outcomes, many of which overlap with the risk of traumatic brain injury and correlate with poorer recovery trajectories.
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Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire: Variability of Scores and Related FactorsRett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder affecting predominantly females and associated with variants in the MECP2 gene. Recent success in clinical trials have resulted in an expanded use of the Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire (RSBQ) for clinical and research purposes.
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Septo-optic dysplasia and gastroschisis: trends in birth prevalence and association with maternal ageThis study aims to describe the risk factors and trends in birth prevalence of septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and gastroschisis between 1980 and 2023. This descriptive, population-based study of SOD and gastroschisis used Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies data from 1980 to 2023. Birth prevalence was calculated using Midwives Notification System data for all births after 20 weeks gestation.
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The Truth Of Our Stories: A mixed method evaluation of Elder and community-led cultural training for out-of-home care agency workers and non-Indigenous foster carers in AustraliaGlobally, Indigenous peoples have incurred significant harm due to colonisation of their lands. Dispossession of culture, language, family and land, and the historical, systematic removal of children in Australia (the ‘Stolen Generation’), has resulted in evident ongoing negative outcomes in the contemporary lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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The application of population data linkage to capture sibling health outcomes among children and young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. A scoping reviewSiblings of children with neurodevelopmental conditions have unique experiences and challenges related to their sibling role. Some develop mental health concerns as measured by self-reported surveys or parent report. Few data are available at the population level, owing to difficulties capturing wide-scale health data for siblings. Data linkage is a technique that can facilitate such research.
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Culture, Connection and Care: The Role of Institutional Justice Capital for Enhancing the Wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Out-Of-Home CareEnsuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children removed from their families by child protection services remain connected to their kin, Country and culture is a priority to begin to redress the intergenerational trauma and harm caused by colonisation. This article describes the views of staff working in three mainstream out-of-home care organisations, where children are cared for by non-Indigenous foster carers.