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Breastfeeding Boosts Brain PowerChildren who are mainly breastfed for the first six months (or longer) score significantly higher academically at 10 years of age, especially boys.
Research
Infants removed by Child Protection: Nature, extent and impactThis study aims to increase knowledge about the nature, extent and impact of removals, repeat removals and entries of new babies into the care system.
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Learning Together and Learning Together at Home: Program Model ReviewLearning Together, developed by the South Australian Department for Education, aims to create enriched learning environments that can be transferred to the home to support positive changes for children and families.
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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.
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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.
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The EU Child Cohort Network’s core data: establishing a set of findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable (FAIR) variablesThe Horizon2020 LifeCycle Project is a cross-cohort collaboration which brings together data from multiple birth cohorts from across Europe and Australia to facilitate studies on the influence of early-life exposures on later health outcomes. A major product of this collaboration has been the establishment of a FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data resource known as the EU Child Cohort Network. Here we focus on the EU Child Cohort Network's core variables.
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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.
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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.
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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
Lung abnormalities do not influence aerobic capacity in school children born pretermChildren born preterm have impaired lung function and altered lung structure. However, there are conflicting reports on how preterm birth impacts aerobic exercise capacity in childhood. We aimed to investigate how neonatal history and a diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) impact the relationship between function and structure of the lung, and aerobic capacity in school-aged children born very preterm.