FROG study – Focused consumer Research priorities to improve Outcomes and Guide care for neonates with surgical conditions

Are you a parent or carer of a child who had major surgery as a newborn (within 1 month of birth), or a person with lived experience with major surgery as a newborn?

Please help us with a short survey. The survey is only open for people living in Australia and will be available until 16th September 2025. Previous work by our team has already identified a longlist of research ideas; now we need your help to select the ones that are the most important so that we can focus our research efforts on those.

The survey takes only 3-5 minutes to complete and is anonymous.

Parents, carers, and people with lived experience, please use this link to access our FROG study:

https://redcap.link/FROGConsumerPrioritisation

This will help us to ensure that our research is meaningful and acceptable to all our patients, their families, and clinicians alike. Let us work together to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable children to give everyone the best chance to have a happy and healthy life.

FROG study – Focused consumer Research priorities to improve Outcomes and Guide care for neonates with surgical conditions

Every Week Counts

Many of you already understand the importance of Every Week Counting in your pregnancy, but not everyone who is pregnant does. Be a change maker by sharing this important resource, the Every Week Counts magazine, with your friends, family and wider network.

Raising awareness of the critical issue of premature and early term birth is essential. Together we can drive real change!

ABREAST Conference 2025

We are thrilled to be heading along to the ABREAST Conference for 2025 and can't wait to hear from Dr Alison Soerensen who will be reflecting on her experience as a Mum to a premature baby.

Dr Soerensen is a locally trained GP at Murray Medical Centre in Mandurah, WA, as well as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Her extensive qualifications include a Diploma of Breastfeeding Management and a Diploma of Child Health, with special interests in women’s health, paediatrics, infant sleep, and breastfeeding medicine.

Her session will highlight:

Reflections on Parenting and Breastfeeding a Hospitalised Preterm Infant as both a clinician and a mother of four, Dr Soerensen will share her personal journey of parenting and breastfeeding a preterm infant in NICU. She will reflect on the critical role healthcare teams play in supporting the parent-child relationship during this challenging time, offering attendees invaluable insights into the lifelong impact of their care.

📅 Don’t miss this heartfelt and thought-provoking session at the ABREAST Conference on 14th August 2025!

👉 Register now: https://www.abreast.network/abreast-2025

Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks: Sensory Sparks

Sensory Sparks: Igniting your Child's Exploration of the World
A practical and informative webinar to help families support their child’s sensory development through everyday experiences.

  • Understand the sensory system and how children process sensory information in different ways

  • Discover how sensory play supports development, learning, and regulation

  • Learn practical strategies to build meaningful sensory experiences into daily routines and support your child’s unique preferences

Presented by Staci Grant (Early Intervention Occupational Therapist) from Western Kids Health.

⏰ 1pm

📆 24 June

Little Hands, Big Minds

Supporting Fine Motor & Thinking Skills Through Play

The next webinar in our Strong Starts for Tiny Sparks series is being co-hosted by Staci Grant (Occupational Therapist) and Kathryn Monaco (Educational & Developmental Psychologist)  on April 15th at 12.30pm. Staci and Kathryn are both part of the team at Western Kids Health and will cover information including:

  • How do kids build their brains and hands through play?

  • What are fine motor or hand skills?

  • What are cognitive skills? 

  • Practical ideas for play 

Please submit your questions and register your attendance.