Publications

Despite a national focus on closing the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal child health outcomes in Australia, there remain significant challenges, including provision of health services in very remote communities. The study aimed to identify and map child health services in the very remote Fitzroy Valley, West Kimberley, and document barriers to effective service delivery.

This work published in 2019 aimed to identify and map child health services in the very remote Fitzroy Valley, West Kimberley, and document barriers to effective service delivery.

This study explores the association between prospectively substantiated child maltreatment and problem alcohol use in adulthood, addressing a gap in research that predominantly relies on retrospective data. Using a prospective cohort record linkage correlational design, data from a statutory child protection agency were linked with a birth cohort from a major metropolitan maternity hospital, as part of the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy in Brisbane, Australia.

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental impairment that may result in individuals experiencing poor development, cognitive issues and disruptive behaviours. In Australia, the prevalence of FASD is unknown; however, two studies have revealed the prevalence of FASD in high risk populations in Western Australia. Individuals with FASD may experience higher rates of negative outcomes including poor school performance, involvement with the justice system and incarceration, substance use and are at risk of being placed in out-of-home care. Caregivers of children with FASD can experience challenges and high levels of stress due to the disruptive behaviours displayed by many children diagnosed with FASD. Whilst experiences of caregivers raising children with FASD have been documented globally, little is known about the experiences of caregivers in a remote Australian context, particularly from an Australian Aboriginal perspective. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of caregivers in a remote Australian context. The findings will be valuable to inform programs at the family, community and broader policy levels that can help enhance children’s development and wellbeing.

This study published in 2019 examined the effect of an acute but moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on glucose metabolism, lipid levels and dietary preference in adolescent and/or adult rat offspring.

The purpose of this study published in 2019 was to undertake a comprehensive review to identify all the available pre-clinical and clinical literature investigating cardiovascular and renal outcomes in offspring with prenatal alcohol exposure.