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For thousands of WA children living with undiagnosed diseases, it’s hope.

Thanks to research, a six -second test can get the answers that could save a child’s life.

A Kimberley study seeking to better understand Strep A in remote settings is helping to guide new approaches to prevent acute rheumatic fever (ARF) – an auto-immune response that typically begins with a sore throat and causes high fever, tiredness and swollen joints.

Autism researchers at the The Kids Research Institute Australia have found the first evidence that therapy in infancy can reduce the likelihood of a clinical autism diagnosis in early childhood.

The Kids Research Institute Australia disability researcher, Associate Professor Helen Leonard, played an important role in the identification of the differences that define CDD, thanks to her extensive experience researching Rett syndrome and running an Australian online database tracking Rett cases.

Research

Between January 2022 and December 2023, there were 1,827 bloodstream infection (BSI) isolates in 1,745 children and adolescents reported to the Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AGAR) surveillance outcome programs, with 40% of episodes in children aged < 12 months. 

The veteran tuberculosis vaccine BCG has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, The Kids researchers have not only unlocked part of the secret to its success in saving the lives of newborns, but they’re at the forefront of global efforts to test its ability to fight COVID-19.

Research

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global healthcare emergency, directly causing 1.3 million deaths per year and predicted to increase dramatically over the coming decades. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning antibiotic resistance is central to approaches for AMR surveillance and diagnosis in a clinical laboratory.

Research

The reciprocal relationship between psychiatric and substance use disorders is well-known, yet it remains largely unknown whether mental health morbidity causally leads to addictive behaviours. This paper utilises a fixed effects instrumental variables model, which is identified by time-varying sources of plausibly exogenous variations in mental health, and a nationally representative panel dataset from Australia to present robust evidence on the causal impact of mental distress on cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking behaviours.

Research

Siblings of children with intellectual disability have unique family experiences, varying by type of disability.