researchers receive international recognition · the campaign, which was re-run in winter and...
TRANSCRIPT
the official Newsletter
of the childreN,
Youth aNd womeN’s
health service
A world-class Paediatric Rehabilitation
Department officially opened its doors
at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital
on 10 September.
in the new department, a dedicated team
of health professionals are giving vital care
to children and young people who have lost
physical, sensory or mental capabilities due a
congenital disorder, medical illness or injury.
the team helps patients who may have
severe difficulties with every day activities
like eating, communicating or being mobile.
they work in partnership with families to
help patients reach their highest possible
level of independence.
specialists on the inter-disciplinary team
include social workers, occupational
therapists, physiotherapists, speech
pathologists, rehabilitation medical specialists
and hospital school teachers, to name a few.
minister for health John hill launched the
service and said the service would help many
patients.
“By offering a thorough rehabilitation
Professor John Hopwood,
based at the Women’s
and Children’s Hospital,
has been named the
2008 South Australian
Scientist of the Year.
Professor Hopwood
has spent more than 25
years of his life working
to cure an inherited
disorder that severely
affects children.
Under his leadership
the Lysosomal Diseases
Research Unit has
become world-renowned
for its research in
the area of lysosomal
storage disorders, which
impact on the healthy
functioning of body cells.
For more, turn to page 5.
Photo courtesy of
The Advertiser.
researchers receive international recognition
issue 14 : spriNg [ 2008 ]
New rehabilitation service launched
shamus liptrot is oNe of the first patieNts to receive care at the New paediatric
rehaBilitatioN departmeNt.
program that is tailored to each patient’s
individual needs, this excellent service
can limit the impacts of many disabling
conditions,” minister hill said.
“it can help patients and their families cope
with physical and mental problems which
can’t be improved by medical intervention.”
shamus liptrot, an elite cyclist who crashed
whilst racing at devonport, tasmania, and
sustained a severe brain injury, has since
received treatment from the team.
“with the rehabilitation team’s expertise
and care, shamus is regaining his ability to
walk and talk. we can’t speak more highly
of the carers and staff – they have made
all the difference to shamus and our lives,”
parents malcolm and patricia said.
any health professional may refer a
patient who they feel may benefit from
rehabilitation. a patient’s suitability for
rehabilitation is assessed on an individual
basis, and their needs will be determined
by the rehabilitation team after consultation
with the family.
a hub of healthy activity
Since being appointed Chief Executive Officer of CYWHS, I have given significant consideration to what I see as the key priorities for the Health Service, to ensure we are well positioned for future growth and success.
the health service, i believe, is in a very strong
position. our community-based services and
programs continue to improve the lives of
thousands of people across the state and we
continue to be the main provider of specialist
care for children and young people with acute
and chronic conditions. in addition, we are
the largest maternity and obstetrics service
in the state.
in Brief
Young people at a Northern adelaide school
are reaping benefits from south australia’s
first ever school based wellbeing hub for
adolescent students.
the hub, which officially opened its doors on
25 June, is a one-stop shop for students aged
from 10 to 18 who are seeking information
or support for their education, health or
welfare needs.
at the newly refurbished site in paralowie
r-12 school, young people can obtain
professional counselling, accurate and current
health information or access to health care
New health service for young people
shops auxiliary record
New study on weight gain in pregnancyResearchers at the University of Adelaide
and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital
have launched a new study that aims to
test the benefits of providing overweight
women with help to limit weight gain
during pregnancy.
the study, which will include over 2500
pregnant women, will involve the women
being provided with a package of dietary
and lifestyle support and advice throughout
their pregnancy. the study will enrol women
having pregnancy care at the women’s and
children’s hospital, lyell mcewin hospital,
the Queen elizabeth hospital, and flinders
medical centre.
“obesity is a significant health issue for
women during pregnancy and childbirth
and there are many associated health risks
for both mother and baby,” dr Jodie dodd,
maternal fetal medicine specialist at the
women’s and children’s hospital, said.
these include pre-eclampsia, gestational
diabetes, the need for the induction of
labour, caesarean section and even perinatal
death.
infants of mothers who are overweight are
more likely to be of higher birth weight,
require admission to the neonatal intensive
care unit, be born pre-term, be identified
with a congenital anomaly, and to require
cYwhs chief executive officer gail moNdY (left), with studeNt Kirah taYlor aNd former chair of the Board of directors, cYwhs, the hoN carolYN picKles.
An advertising campaign run by the
CYWHS to promote the benefits of
breastfeeding had a positive impact,
surveys suggest.
the campaign, which was re-run
in winter and called ‘Breastfeed
for longer’, included tv and radio
advertisements, shopping centre
displays, posters and pamphlets.
surveys conducted with mums and the
general public suggest the campaign
had a positive impact. Breastfeeding
tv ads were recalled by 96 per cent of
new mothers and visits to web pages
about breastfeeding on www.cyh.com
increased as did calls to the
Parent Helpline 1300 364 100.
the campaign was run through the
centre for health promotion team.
Breast- feeding campaign’s impact
girls group supports indigenous students A program at the Second Story Youth
Health Service’s new western site based
at the Woodville GP Plus campus, is
helping to ensure young Indigenous
women stay at school longer.
the Nunga girlz group involves students
from ocean view college, who meet once
a fortnight at the woodville site.
a joint initiative of second story, shine sa,
dale st women’s health service, camhs and
the central Northern adelaide health service,
the group is a continuation of a program
previously run at the port adelaide community
health service.
through activities that boost students’
emotional health and wellbeing, and a
requirement that membership is only open
to those who attend school, the group is
helping to build school retention.
community health worker (aboriginal Youth
health) fiona Buzzacott said there are six girls
who take part in the group and they provide
direction for the group’s activities.
“we let the girls decide what they would like
to do, so they have a sense of ownership over
the group,” she said.
“we sit down and talk to the girls. we talk and
they let us know what they would like to do.”
some of the activities the girls have been
“we let the girls decide
what they would like to
do, so they have a sense of
ownership over the group,”
involved in include goal setting, and also fun
activities such as making chocolates. through
the fun and relaxed atmosphere of these
activities, students feel more comfortable to
open up to staff about any issues that may
be affecting them.
staff can then follow these up through either
informal or formal counselling.
the Nunga girlz group is attended by the
community health worker, aboriginal Youth
health, cYwhs, an aboriginal education
worker and a camhs aboriginal mental
health worker.
and the group is showing early signs of success.
“members of our current group, attend school
every day,” fiona said.
“and they love coming to the group – i know
they get really disappointed if it is not on.”
ocean view college arranges the students’
transport to the woodville clinic and return
to school.
the Nunga girls group is one of several services
that will be provided at the second story Youth
health service’s new woodville service, at the
gp plus centre.
the second story Youth health service (tss)
is an initiative of the cYwhs that delivers
health services to young people aged between
12 years and 25 years.
tss currently operates from three other service
delivery points, elizabeth (tss North), city
(tss central) and christies Beach (tss south).
South Australia’s Parent Helpline recently received its millionth call – testament to the excellent service the Helpline offers parents throughout South Australia on any topic from birth to 25 years.
the confidential helpline service provides
up-to-the-minute information to parents over
the phone 24 hours a day, every day of the
year. Qualified staff including nurses, social
workers and community health workers are
on hand to provide a wealth of information
about health, behaviour and relationships.
this could be anything from immunisation,
head-lice or fussy eaters to sibling rivalry,
step families or drugs. importantly, staff
are able to connect callers with follow up
services in their local area if needed.
in 2008, the annual customer survey of the
parent helpline revealed that 92 per cent of
callers were extremely or very satisfied with
the service. furthermore, 89 per cent of
callers felt extremely or very confident in
managing their issue by the end of the call.
this month south australia’s parent helpline
team are hosting a national meeting for
parent helplines throughout australia and
New Zealand.
teams will showcase their work and share
best practice to ensure there is a continuous
learning process. issues such as child protection,
technology and research will be discussed
so the best possible information is available
to parents.
Parent Helpline: 1300 364 100
parent helpline reaches a milestone
the cYwhs is regarded as a leader in many
areas. on a daily basis, the health service
makes a real difference to the lives of children,
young people, women and their families.
Building upon this i want to focus on the
future of our clinical services to ensure that
we are equipped to meet the needs of the
south australian community, as populations
and trends in service provision change.
recently, the health service began a clinical
services planning process which will inform
service delivery models to 2016. this is part of
our response to the south australian healthcare
plan 2007-2016 which is a demonstration of
the sa government’s commitment to providing
the best possible health care for south
australians into the future.
the first phase of the clinical services
planning process is focusing on planning
for our hospital’s clinical services through to
2016/2017, based on the state’s demographic
changes and trends and the changes to models
of service delivery highlighted in the south
australian healthcare plan 2007-2016.
as part of this first phase we will also look at
how the hospital clinical services integrate with
the primary and population health services
within cYwhs.
through the clinical services planning process,
the health service will be better placed to
identify the timing and nature of future capital
investments and workforce needs. the clinical
services plan will inform the health services’
master plan, a framework that guides the
development of our facilities. this remains a
priority, to ensure that our hospital facilities
are equipped to meet the future needs of
the population.
on a separate note, i would like to
acknowledge the achievement of professor
John hopwood, who was named south
australian scientist of the Year for 2008.
through research conducted at the women’s
and children’s hospital, professor hopwood
has made a significant difference to the lives
of those with devastating conditions resulting
from lysosomal storage disorders.
also recognised in the state government’s
science excellence awards was associate
professor John mulley, who won the award for
excellence in research for public good Benefit.
a/professor mulley established paediatric
molecular genetic testing at the women’s and
children’s hospital, with his research focusing
on the genetic causes of epilepsy.
Both researchers are to be congratulated for
their achievement and life-long dedication
and commitment to improving the lives of
young people.
gail mondy
chief executive officer
from the chief executive officer
services and programs.
part of the $95,000 upgrade includes the
installation of several private consultation
rooms for youth health workers and student
counsellors to use. a large meeting space
has been created too, which now contains
two computer terminals for students to find
health and career information.
the health centre was opened by health
minister John hill.
“this new wellbeing hub is an example of
our investment in co-located services and will
help to ensure our young people are healthy,
strong and resilient,” minister hill said.
“it is a new and innovative way of delivering
health related services and education for
young south australians and helps to address
student mental health, social and emotional
wellbeing.”
the health centre concept was developed
through the edconx school retention
project funded by the south australian
government’s Making the Connections
Strategy. through working in partnership
with four key schools in the northern region,
the second story Youth health service of
the cYwhs recognised that there may be
benefits in providing primary health care
services to young people and their families
in an educational setting.
with that aim in mind, the school
connections edconx Initiative brought
together the department of education
and children’s services (decs), paralowie
r–12 school, and the second story Youth
health service of the cYwhs.
the partners created the health centre to
actively promote the overall wellbeing of
young people, as well as prevent ill-health.
cYwhs community health director dorian
marsland-smith said the wellbeing hub was
a place for students to conveniently access
reliable information on health issues which
affect their ability to achieve, learn or stay
connected with school.
“a wide range of health services will be
available to support students in the area
of mental health, general health, positive
lifestyle choices and relationship health.
the services at the hub are based on
what the students told us they wanted,”
ms marsland-smith said.
“the focus is on wellbeing and helping
young people develop good health
knowledge and behaviours so they can
reach their best potential.”
The Second Story has opened a new site
at the GP Plus centre in Woodville. The
Second Story provides free, confidential
and non-judgemental health services for
young people aged 12-25 years.
Nurses and a doctor are available to offer
information and support about a range of
health and wellbeing issues. Young people
can speak with them about physical, mental
and sexual health, drugs and alcohol,
contraception and more.
if needed, young people can be referred to
a counsellor on site or another organisation
for further help. Youth counsellors are also
available to offer support and resources
regarding young people’s wellbeing.
to book an appointment with a nurse
or doctor call 8268 1225. to book an
appointment with a youth counsellor,
call Youth Healthline 1300 131 719.
alternatively, drop in to the cottage, gp plus
centre, 51 Bower street, woodville to see if a
nurse, doctor or counsellor is available.
treatment for jaundice or low blood sugar.
“the costs of this are significant, in terms of
both the emotional stress on women and the
health of their babies.”
dr dodd said that while there was significant
research into the potential complications
associated with obesity during pregnancy
and childbirth, there was limited information
about the effectiveness of intervention
measures.
“if our dietary and lifestyle intervention is
shown to be an effective way of reducing the
risk of adverse maternal and infant health
outcomes, this would be a highly beneficial,
cost effective and worthwhile treatment
to reduce the burden of a major cause of
maternal, infant and childhood morbidity
related to obesity.“
dr dodd said she hoped that the study could
continue to follow the health and progress of
the children born, to evaluate any impact on
the development of childhood obesity.
the four-year study has been funded by
the australian National health and medical
research council. dr Jodie dodd is also a
senior lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology
at the university of adelaide and a
Neil hamilton fairley clinical fellow.
to find out more about the study or enrolment,
call 8161 7657 or e-mail [email protected]
On June 20 Chief Executive Officer,
Gail Mondy, accepted on behalf of
the CYWHS, a cheque from the Shops
Auxiliary, a division of the Friends of
the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
the $190,000 cheque brought the
shops auxiliaries total donation for last
financial year up to $375,000, its largest
contribution ever.
the shops auxiliary volunteers manage
and staff rainbows and vic’s coffee shop,
and provide a much used and appreciated
service for patients, their families and staff.
funds raised support the purchase of
medical equipment for the hospital,
as well as funding the shops auxiliary
health promotion small grants scheme
for cYwhs staff.
for enquiries about becoming a volunteer
please call 8161 6362.
miNister JohN hill lauNched the wellBeiNg huB. he is pictured with Kirah taYlor (left), ZaK ward aNd reBecca thomsoN.
A world-wide study involving 2130 post-
menopausal women from the UK, Australia
and New Zealand has identified that
hormone replacement therapy (HRT) results
in an improved quality of life.
the study assessed the impact of the combined
hormones oestrogen and progestogen, and
the impact on the women’s quality of life.
study participants were post-menopausal
women with an average age of 13 years after
menopause.
“our results show that the women on hrt
experienced less hot flushes, night sweats,
sleeplessness and joint pain in this age
hormone replacement therapy benefits
help a virtual reality for burns victims
Burns victims at the Women’s and
Children’s Hospital will benefit from the
donation of a virtual-reality tool especially
designed to help alleviate pain.
the virtual-reality tool was presented to the
hospital’s Burns service in august.
the technology was developed by unisa’s
school of computer and information science
(cis), through professor Bruce thomas and the
wearable computer laboratory, in partnership
with unisa’s centre allied health evidence and
the school of health sciences (physiotherapy).
the launch of the equipment was made
possible through the support of the Julian
Burton Burns trust in conjunction with the
lions club of Brighton.
BurNs patieNt martiN vaN der velde is oNe of maNY who will BeNefit from the virtual realitY tool. he is pictured with actiNg cliNical Nurse coNsultaNt, BurNs, liNda QuiNN (left) aNd mum marY vaN der velde.
professor thomas said it was a proud moment
to see the launch of a technology that has such
a positive effect on sick children.
“this is the first virtual reality computer game
of its kind that can be used for pain relief,”
he said.
“unisa research showed that children who
had the distraction of a virtual reality game
while undergoing post-operative physiotherapy
reported a significant decrease in their
experience of pain.
“an existing video game was then extensively
modified to be mentally stimulating and remove
the focus from the pain.”
head of the Burns service at the women’s and
children’s hospital, tony sparnon, was pleased
with the addition of the technology to the unit
and praised the work of unisa in bringing it
together.
“our initial studies (through an early prototype
of the device at the women’s and children’s
hospital), showed that it not only pleased
the patients, but also impressed their parents
who noticed the impact it had upon their
treatment,” he said.
“at present, the patients need large doses of
drugs, or analgesics, as part of their treatment
which can lead to complications.”
“so, while the patients can play these games
through the device, it enables the nurses to
concentrate more fully on the administration
of their treatment.”
“we’d very much like to thank the university
of south australia for helping to develop this
and for putting this into practice.”
Julian Burton, who was also present at the
launch, was grateful for the support of unisa
in developing the equipment. he said the
virtual reality game will prove valuable in
the Burns service for many years to come in
occupying the attention of younger patients
during treatment.
Burns injuries are among the most common
causes of accidental death in children under
five years of age and one of the three most
common injuries suffered by australians
each year.
group. sexuality was also improved,”
professor alastair maclennan said.
professor maclennan is leader of the australian
arm of the wisdom research team (women’s
international study of long duration oestrogen
after menopause), and head of obstetrics &
gynaecology at the university of adelaide,
based at the women’s and children’s hospital.
“overall, quality of life measures improved.
even when women did not have hot flushes
and were well past menopause, there was a
small but measurable improvement in quality of
life and a noted improvement in sleep, sexuality
and joint pains,” professor maclennan said.
“hormone replacement therapy users also
had more breast tenderness and discharge
compared to those on a placebo.”
the head of wisdom New Zealand,
dr Beverley lawton, said the research suggests
that if hrt is commenced around the time
of menopause, it avoids the cardiovascular
risks that have been previously reported when
women commence hrt many years after
menopause.
“research studies such as these enable the
risks of hrt to be reduced. when hrt is
individualised to each woman, it maximises
the benefits,” professor maclennan said.
“early start-up side effects can usually be
alleviated by adjusting the treatment, and for
most women with significant menopause
symptoms the benefits of hrt outweigh
the risks.
“if a woman feels that hrt is needed for
quality of life, then doctors can find the
safest regimen for her. she can try going
off hrt every four to five years, and can
then make an informed choice about
whether to continue hrt.”
the wisdom research is independent of
the pharmaceutical industry and has been
funded by uK, australian and New Zealand
government research bodies.
the results of the latest study by the wisdom
research team are published on the British
medical Journal website at www.bmj.com
Researchers in Adelaide have teamed
up to find out if children who have
breathing problems during sleep
have an increased risk of heart and
circulatory disease in later life.
this world first study will also assess
whether surgery can restore normal
heart health in children with sleep
related breathing problems.
scientists will non-invasively investigate
the health of cells lining the blood vessels
and will measure the blood pressure and
heart rate of children who snore or suffer
from sleep apnoea – a condition where
researchers receive international recognition
A Women’s and Children’s Hospital Professor who has dedicated more than 25 years of his life in a quest to cure an inherited disorder that severely affects children, has been named the 2008 South Australian Scientist of the Year.
as part of the state government’s science
excellence awards held at the hilton adelaide
in august, leading biochemical geneticist
professor John hopwood was awarded the
prestigious, $50,000 prize by the governor
of south australia, rear admiral Kevin scarce
ac csc raNr.
officiating at the event, science minister
paul caica said professor hopwood and his
team, at the lysosomal diseases research
unit at pathology sa, had been achieving
research breakthroughs in a field where patient
therapies had previously been unavailable.
“under professor hopwood’s leadership the unit
has become world-renowned for its research in
the area of lysosomal storage disorders, which
impact on the healthy functioning of body
cells,” minister caica said.
“in australia around 50 babies are born each
year with one of these inherited disorders, which
lead to progressively severe clinical problems,
professor JohN hopwood (ceNtre) with memBers of the lYsosomal diseases research uNit at the life for mps award iN vaNcouver
call for participants in sleep study
impacting on the quality and length of their
lives.”
professor hopwood and his team have been
discovering the genes responsible for some
of these disorders and have been licensed
to commercialise recombinant proteins,
which recently gained us food and drug
administration approval.
“By showing not only a willingness to work
on applied research, but also an outstanding
capacity to deliver results that benefit people’s
lives, professor hopwood and his team have
achieved an enviable reputation with users of
their research.”
it’s estimated that professor hopwood’s
research for the health system has led to work
generating an income to the state of more than
$100-million.
he is sa’s second only scientist of the Year, with
the category having being created for the first
time last year by the state government.
the award recognises an individual for their
outstanding achievement in scientific research
that significantly advances knowledge and has
the potential to produce a commercial outcome
or benefit to the community, with the $50,000
prize to be used towards the winners’ research.
associate professor John mulley from sa
pathology won the award for excellence in
research for public good Benefit. associate
professor mulley established paediatric molecular
genetic testing at the women’s and children’s
hospital, with his research focussing on the
genetic causes of epilepsy. associate professor
mulley has been active for 30 years in the
translation of research into diagnostic practice
for a range of genetic diseases.
professor John hopwood was also recently
recognised on an international level, with a life
for mps award presented to him and his team
at an international conference in vancouver.
the award recognises scientists in the
international sphere who have made a lifetime
contribution to research into conditions known
as the mucopolysaccharidoses (or mps).
it is awarded by a collective of mps societies
across the world, made up of scientists,
academics and representatives from families
whose lives have been touched by the disorders.
professor hopwood said he hoped the award
would increase the spotlight on mps, which
has a devastating effect on sufferers and their
families.
breathing stops momentarily during sleep.
this study has been funded by the
National health and medical research
council and is a collaboration between
the university of adelaide and three
departments at the cYwhs: the sleep
disorders unit, the endocrinology and
diabetes centre, and the department of
medical imaging.
the researchers are currently looking for
children and parents who would like to
help with this study. they particularly
need to recruit children with a sleep
disorder and who are scheduled for tonsil
and adenoid surgery.
this research has been approved by an
ethics committee and children will not
be harmed at any time as a result of
the investigations. parents will be fully
consulted and informed during their
child’s participation in this vital health
research.
if you are interested in finding out more
about this world-first study, please contact
the recruitment team at the women’s and
children’s hospital sleep disorders unit
on 08 8161 6456. alternatively, email
Researchers at the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital have given an extraordinary
glimpse into the insight doctors could
one day have into our bodies.
together with an international team of
researchers from monash university, Japan,
and the usa, the researchers have developed
new biomedical imaging techniques that have
the potential to significantly advance patient
diagnoses and treatment of lung diseases.
their work has been published in the Journal
of anatomy in the uK.
synchrotron phase contrast x-rays have
exceptional resolution, penetrating power and
sensitivity to soft tissue. the researchers used
synchrotron phase-contrast x-ray imaging
(pcxi) to capture images of the structure
and dynamics of tissues and organs in mice,
in particular the airspaces and lungs.
the resulting two and three dimensional
images offer staggering detail and clarity of the
mouse organs and, through the application of
specialised software, can provide animations
that include ‘virtual tours’ flying through the
mouse airways.
the synchrotron images were captured in Japan
at the spring-8 synchrotron. a synchrotron is a
particle accelerator as big as a football stadium
that creates extremely bright x-ray light as
electrons are deflected through magnetic fields.
the light is channelled down beamlines to
workstations where it is used for research.
dr david parsons, chief medical scientist, in the
women’s and children’s hospital’s pulmonary
medicine department, said the research was
conducted with the ultimate aim of finding
more timely, accurate means to monitor the
effectiveness of treatments for lung diseases,
such as cystic fibrosis.
cystic fibrosis is a genetically-inherited
disease that can cause serious and ongoing
health problems. it causes early death in many
after a life of steadily worsening lung disease.
the disease currently has no cure.
researchers are investigating the potential of
gene therapy to cure the disease, focussed
on gene-correction of adult stem cells present
in the airways of cystic fibrosis sufferers,
but there is currently no direct method of
examining airways non-invasively, at sufficiently
high resolution and in a timely fashion, to
assess whether or not treatments are working.
“our research looked at developing
synchrotron phase contrast x-ray imaging (pcxi)
to visualise the immediate changes in internal
airway physiology of living laboratory animals,
and reconstruct the detailed airway anatomy in
preserved laboratory mice,” dr parsons said.
“the extraordinarily high resolution and clarity
of the images we found meant we were able
to examine complex organs such as the lung in
detail, from many different viewpoints.”
“through the application of special software
we can then reconstruct and view organs in
their entirety, or isolate specific regions or
different components of the tissue to advance
our gene therapy research.”
“although these studies were conducted in
laboratory mice we hope that with expected
technical advances, and more research into
the necessary tailoring of radiation doses,
pcxi could one day have a role in specialised
diagnostic imaging studies at very high
resolution in larger animals, and hopefully
in humans.”
“the potential applications of this research
mean that medical professionals could
have substantially better x-ray tools to test
immediately whether or not a particular lung
therapy or treatment has worked, through
biomedical imaging systems that can offer
much greater clarity and scope for repeated
analysis.”
the research was conducted through funding
provided through the National health and
medical research council, the cystic fibrosis
foundation in the usa, and philanthropic
donations from businesses and corporations.
dr david parsons is also a senior lecturer in
the department of paediatrics, and a member
of the newly established centre for stem cell
research at the university of adelaide. he is
also an affiliate senior research fellow of the
women’s and children’s hospital research
institute.
6 7
research uncovers genetic linkWomen’s and Children’s Hospital
researchers are among the first to
uncover a cause of a rare condition
called Female Limited Epilepsy and
Mental Retardation (EFMR).
as the name suggests, this condition only
affects females and causes seizures that
start in infancy or early childhood, as well
as cognitive impairment.
dr leanne dibbens from the department
of genetic medicine and collaborators have
identified genetic mutations that trigger
efmr in women.
the study, published in the journal Nature
genetics, looked at seven families from
australia, the united states, israel and ireland
affected by efmr.
dr leanne dibbens says the results found
that each of the families studied have a
genetic mutation in a protocadherin gene
which is a member of a large gene family.
“mutations in this gene family have never before been linked to epilepsy or mental retardation,” dr dibbens said.
“one of the most important discoveries we have made is that both women and men can carry the mutant gene, but for a reason unknown, only women develop efmr,“ dr dibbens said.
however, men are protected from developing the condition.
“in one of the families studied we found 23 women affected by efmr over five generations, but the men of the family remain unaffected by the condition.”
dr dibbens says that protocadherins are important for cell-to-cell communication in the brain, and could also hold the key to better understanding of related conditions like autism and obsessive compulsive disorder.
“this discovery has also opened the way for women from affected families to be genetically tested for mutations during pregnancy,” dr dibbens said.
dr leaNNe diBBeNs was amoNg the first to uNcover the geNetic cause of epilepsY aNd meNtal retardatioN iN womeN
antidote found in the anecdoteResearchers at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital have turned to nature to find a treatment for a severe and common side effect of chemotherapy.
dr gordon howarth and his team in the gastroenterology department have proven extracts from the green-lipped mussel, a New Zealand shellfish, can help fight inflammatory Bowel disease and intestinal mucositis.
the extract known as lyprinol, is currently used as an anti-inflammatory to treat asthma and arthritis.
however, this is the first time that researchers have found evidence that it can be used to treat intestinal mucositis, the inflammation and ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract and a common side effect of chemotherapy.
the research was fuelled by a 100 year old anecdote from New Zealand and polynesia that eating molluscs can help fight illnesses.
“it looked like they may have been on the right track, judging by our laboratory results,” dr howarth said.
dr howarth and his team of honours and phd
students from the university of adelaide are
funded by an National health and medical
research council (Nhmrc) complementary
and alternative medicine grant to develop new
strategies to treat inflammatory Bowel disease
and intestinal mucositis.
“the primary focus of our research, using
proven animal model systems, is looking at
the damage chemotherapy can cause to the
intestine and finding ways to mitigate this,”
dr howarth said.
emu oil is another product being tested by the
team for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant
properties.
“aborigines have used it for centuries to
help heal wounds and muscle soreness,”
dr howarth said.
“like the maoris and polynesians’ belief
about the mollusc, its healing properties
are mainly anecdotal, but we are now
testing these beliefs in a scientific way
and early results are encouraging.”
dr gordoN howarth aNd hoNours
studeNt suZaNNe mashtouB are
looKiNg to alterNative therapies.
service excellence awardsthe winners of the 2008 children, Youth and
women’s health service’s service excellence
awards were announced at a special dinner
on friday, 7 November.
this year 50 nominations were received for
the awards, with 22 of these being for teams.
the awards scheme is in its third year and
recognises excellent service to clients and patients.
this year the categories included:
Category 1
excellence in illness prevention, health promotion
or early intervention
Category 2
excellence in improving the health of
aboriginal children, young people and women
Category 3
excellence in providing integrated, high-quality,
client-focussed services
Category 4
excellence in research, innovation and change
Category 5
excellence in the promotion of learning
Category 6
excellence in consumer, carer or community
engagement
Category 7
excellence in service provision (non-patient care).
the winners were:
• IreneThorn,fromtheWomen’sandChildren’s
hospital’s postnatal ward (category 1)
• TheNungaYoungMumsParentingGroup
(category 2)
• LukeGrzeskowiakfromPharmacy(Category3)
• ProfessorJohnHopwood(Category4)
• DrKymOsbornfromtheWomen’sand children’s hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology anaesthetics (category 5)
• MellitaKimber,fromtheCommunity engagement unit (category 6); and,
• VanessaCharlesworth,fromHuman resources (category 7).
cYwhs chief executive officer gail mondy congratulated all staff on being nominated and credited staff for the part they have played in the achievements of the health service over the past year.
“as a health service, we continue to go from strength to strength. it has been a year in which we have continued to deliver excellence in health care and improve the health and wellbeing of our community through our services and programs,” ms mondy said.
“we acknowledge the role that our dedicated and talented staff play in helping us to achieve this result and i congratulate all staff who have been recognised through the service excellence awards.”
the service excellence awards were established in 2006 to celebrate the commitment and excellence of staff who strive to deliver excellence in health care.
the awards were reviewed this year, with revisions being made to the categories and judging criteria to give an even more focussed and rigorous process.
staff from across the region were nominated by their managers and peers.
New imaging technology
oNe of the images taKeN BY the sYNchrotroN phase coNtrast x-raYs.
Yanek’s fantastic journeyFather’s Day was a particularly special
day for Chad Rachwal this year – he
was able to spend it at home with his
son Yanek.
Yanek has a rare condition called Joubert
syndrome, which causes damage to the
cerebrum at the base of the brain which
coordinates motor skills, resulting in
developmental and physical problems.
“Yanek has many symptoms including speech
difficulties, low muscle tone and a chronic
lung disease and yet he copes remarkably,”
chad said.
“his cheerful personality shines through and
affects everyone he meets.”
Because of his condition Yanek has spent quite
a bit of time in hospital. the family has just
returned though from Yanek’s starlight wish
trip to Queensland, where he met his heroes
Batman and robin at movieworld.
“meeting the superheroes was the highlight of Yanek’s trip,” chad said.
“Yanek was ecstatic to meet Batman and robin at a special location and the heroes made a special effort to catch up with him throughout his day spent at movieworld. Yanek had a wonderful time.
“we were lucky enough to experience a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of australia Zoo and also enjoy a day at seaworld.”
Now back at home in williamstown, Yanek spent father’s day with his real-life hero, his dad.
“we had a quiet day - it was great to hang out together. it rained all day, so we played playstation while mum was at work,” chad said.
“Yanek made me a card and we chilled out together. even though it wasn’t as dazzling as our trip to Queensland, it is these quiet moments that mean so much to me.”
YaNeK was giveN the opportuNitY
to meet his heroes BatmaN aNd roBiN
at movieworld, thaNKs to a starlight
wish trip.
vaNessa charlesworth (left) was oNe of the wiNNers iN the service excelleNce awards. she is pictured with lYN deaN, executive director NursiNg aNd midwiferY.
luKe grZesKowiaK from pharmacY was a wiNNer. he is pictured with aNNe-marie haYes, a/executive director primarY aNd populatioN health.
dr KYm osBorN with Julie-aNNe Burgess, executive director acute services.
EDITORIAL STATEMENT
Healthy Focus is the official newsletter of the
children, Youth and women’s health service
(cYwhs). it highlights the goal of the cYwhs,
to promote, maintain and restore the health
of children, youth and women.
to contribute to Healthy Focus, email
EDITORIAL TEAM
charmaine Newton (editor), Krista st John,
sarah miteff
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
monica Briffa, Nicole mikajewski,
vanessa raschella
tall poppy award
Dr Catherine Gibson who is employed by
the CYWHS Genetics Department was a
recent recipient of a Young Tall Poppy
for 2008 Award for her research into the
causes of cerebral palsy.
dr gibson conducted the research with the
university of adelaide cerebral palsy research
group, led by professor alastair maclennan,
head of the discipline of obstetrics and
gynaecology. catherine is pictured with her
daughter hannah and professor maclennan.
catherine’s research is aimed at identifying
possible causes for cerebral palsy, the most
common major physical disability in childhood.
she is investigating how genetics and the
environment may interact during pregnancy to
cause cerebral palsy in the hope to understand
and to possibly prevent this debilitating
disorder, for which there is no cure.
cerebral palsy affects about one in every 400
children born in australia, around 600 births
per year.
shining a spotlight on our young investigatorsA young researcher from the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute whose work has shown that the visual development of premature babies can be improved by ensuring their diets are rich in omega-3 oil has been chosen as South Australia’s Young Investigator of the Year for 2008.
as the winner, dr lisa smithers received the hon carolyn pickles award of $10,000 at the finals of the Young investigator award, held at the adelaide convention centre on 22 october. the two runners up chris turner and dr lachlan moldenhauer were presented with $3000 each.
dr smithers, conducted her phd research at the university of adelaide and is now a medical scientist and postdoctoral research fellow at the women’s and children’s health research institute.
dr smithers conducted a clinical trial involving 143 babies born at less than 33 weeks’ gestation (more than two months’ early).
as part of the clinical trial, tuna oil capsules containing dha, an omega-3 oil, were ingested by breastfeeding mothers and dha was also added to milk formula for those women not breastfeeding.
throughout pregnancy dha usually accumulates in the growing baby’s brain and visual system. dha is normally present in breast milk and formula, but these supply lower amounts than provided to a growing baby during a full-term pregnancy.
the clinical trial raised the dha levels in the milk to four times higher than what would normally be present, to an amount similar to that supplied during pregnancy. the dha enriched milk was provided to the premature babies until their full-term date.
No differences in vision were found at two months of age, but by four months, babies who were fed higher dha could see a finer pattern than those fed the usual amount of dha.
the research findings have the potential to help improve the health outcomes of babies born prematurely, who have a life-long,
increased risk of poorer development.
the Young investigator award, now in
its ninth year, is a highly successful event
rewarding excellence in south australia’s young
researchers in both science and their ability to
communicate and ‘sell’ that science.
the award is an initiative of the cYwhs, in
conjunction with the university of adelaide,
the unisa and flinders university, together
with the women’s and children’s health
research institute and the women’s and
children’s hospital foundation.
the runners-up in this year’s award were
researchers chris turner and lachlan
mouldenhauer.
chris turner, who is undertaking his phd at
the university of adelaide and the lysosomal
diseases research unit at sa pathology, has
identified a potential therapy for pompe
disease, a severe form of muscular dystrophy.
through his research, chris has found a
way to stimulate the removal of a molecule
called glycogen from structures in cells called
lysosomes.
this is critical to finding an effective therapy for
pompe disease, which results from the body’s
inability to use glycogen effectively. with the
disease, glycogen remains stored in lysosomes,
which are present in each of the body’s cells.
university of adelaide researcher lachlan
moldenhauer has identified a way to
manipulate the behaviour of white blood cells
in mice, to promote healthy pregnancy.
a phd candidate in the university’s discipline of
obstetrics and gynaecology, lachlan’s research
has demonstrated in mice that a number of
molecules within the uterus during pregnancy,
called cytokines, can prevent white blood cells
from establishing an “attack” mode.
the white blood cells, or t-cells, are then
induced into a state of tolerance to allow for
survival and growth of the foetus.
failure of the mother’s immune system to
establish tolerance can result in a number
of reproductive health problems including
infertility, miscarriage or pre-term birth.
dr catheriNe giBsoN tall poppY award recipieNt with her daughter haNNah aNd professor macleNNaN
the YouNg iNvestigator award wiNNer for 2008 dr lisa smithers