EPIC: Guideline working group EOI

The Extremely Preterm Infant Centre of Research Excellence (EPIC-CRE) led by Professor Jeanie Cheong at the MCRI is developing a national Guideline for Growth, Health, and Developmental Follow-up for Children Born Very Preterm from School Age to Adulthood. 

The guideline aims to improve the quality of life and optimise health trajectories across the life course for children born very preterm, from school age to adulthood, supporting their increased risk of chronic and complex physical and mental health conditions and promoting consistent, coordinated care.

We are seeking individuals with lived experienced to join Guideline Development Group (GDG) to ensure the guideline is practical and relevant. The GDG will include diverse group from across Australia including clinical experts, researchers, people with lived experience, and representatives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, CALD populations, and rural and remote regions. 

GDG meetings will be held virtually every 3 months (around 8 sessions) from early 2026 to late 2027. Each meeting will run approx. 2 hours, with 1-2 hours of document review between meetings. 

This work builds on the NHMRC-endorsed 2024 Guideline for Growth, Health and Developmental Follow-up for Children Born Very Preterm, developed by the Centre of Research Excellence in Newborn Medicine, providing recommendations from birth to preschool age. Available at CRE in Newborn Medicine.

We invite individuals born very preterm (18+ years) and caregivers of individuals born very preterm (school age or older) to join the GDG. You can express your interest by completing this short survey: https://redcap.link/zaz118h0 

Christmas 2025

Each year we strive to provide special gifts for families who will spend their Christmas in a Neonatal unit in Western Australia. This year our gifts consisted of gorgeous quilted Christmas Stockings made and donated by our wonderful Crafty Creator Collective, Baby’s First Christmas ornament with special thanks to Laser Artistry, a Christmas milestone card, beanie, pen and free 12 month membership to the Baby Play Academy thanks to the incredible Nicole Pates at Western Kids Health.

We spent our first Christmas in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth and it was such a tough time. Being split between siblings at home and our little one in the hospital was so very challenging. We’ve heard time and time again how special, seen and understood families feel when they receive a gift from us to mark a special occasion.

This Christmas we were truly delighted to pass the 10,000 special occasion gift mark and that’s all that to you and other members of our amazing community.

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks webinar: Simple Strategies for Big Feelings

Please join us for the next free webinar in the Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks series hosted by Staci Grant, Occupational Therapist with Western Kids Health we will hear all about ‘Simple Strategies for Big Feelings’. This will include:

• What’s actually going on when kids have big emotional reactions

• What typical emotions look like in early childhood

• Simple strategies for big feelings

• When to reach out

📆 Thursday 27 November

⏰ 11am

🔗 Registration is essential https://forms.gle/687QVzndKmYrx2bc8

Next Spark Award Winner

What a marvellous afternoon at Mounts Bay Sailing Club for the Next Spark Pitch event, our key event for World Prematurity Day 2025. We heard from three early career researchers who were shortlisted finalists. They pitched their project ideas to win over the audience.

Dr Gayatri Jape pitched her project Bridging the Gap: A pilot school readiness clinic for preterm born children, followed by Dr Lindsay Kindinger who pitched Vaginal Progesterone for preterm birth prevention: prescription versus reality, and the final pitch of the day was from Dr Rebecca Watkinson with her project Identifying preterm babies at risk of re-hospitalisation with respiratory infections.

Following the fast paced pitches the audience had just 10 minutes to decide which pitch should win and cast their vote. We would have loved to fund all three of these big ideas, but there could be only one winner.

Huge congratulations to Rebecca 👏🏻 We can't wait to see how this work unfolds in 2026!

Preterm Birth Prevention in The Lancet

Lancet paper shows world-first Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Program is working!!!

New data has shown that a world-first initiative to reduce preterm and early term births in Australia has led to a significant decrease in rates of potentially harmful early birth, and improved pregnancy outcomes for women across the country.

Recently published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, the study presents detailed outcomes from a six-year preterm birth prevention program first introduced in mid-2018.

Findings have shown that:

From 2018-2021, through activities of the Alliance, rates of preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks) were reduced by approximately 8%. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children under the age of 5 worldwide.

From 2021-2024, through the expansion of the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Program, an approximate 10% reduction in the early term ages was achieved (37-39 weeks – a period strongly associated with increased risks of learning and behavioural problems).

“We have shown that using current knowledge we have lowered the rate of harmful early birth by 7-10% which represents approximately 4000 fewer cases of early birth each year across Australia since the program was launched,” Alliance Chair, Professor John Newnham explains.