The impact of our research
Our first 1000 days of life lay the foundations for our health as an adult. This is a critical time for development, with many factors influencing our early life. Our scientists, clinicians, and nutritionists collaborate closely to understand these factors and develop strategies to ensure a healthy start to life.
Our research has shown that a high-fibre diet in breastfeeding mothers could potentially protect infants from serious respiratory conditions such as asthma.
We’ve investigated a potential new iron supplement for pregnant women that may reduce the debilitating side effects caused by current medication.
We’ve conducted a study that shows that extremely premature birth can change an infant’s brain activity during sleep – impacting brain development two years later.
Our scientists have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to rapidly track how pre-term babies are developing once they’re in neonatal intensive care.
About perinatal health
The first 1,000 days of life, usually considered to be from conception to the age of 2, represent a critical stage in development.
To understand human health more broadly, it’s critical to understand pregnancy and early infancy. These are affected by multiple factors, including genetics, infections, nutrition, and the microbiome. QIMR Berghofer research is particularly focused on the role of the microbiome and iron nutrition in early life.
The Western lifestyle has led to a rise in intestinal dysbiosis – a disturbance in microbial communities in the gut. This can lead to many negative health consequences, including:
• an increased risk of allergic and autoimmune diseases
• higher rates of depression and anxiety
• inflammation and reduced immunity.
In Australia and other Western cultures, we’ve dramatically reduced the incidence of ‘traditional’ human pathogens such as hookworms. However, it’s thought that the loss of these pathogens significantly contributes to microbiome dysbiosis and low immune tolerance.
Starting life with a well-balanced intestinal flora is important for good health. Many environmental factors, such as mode of delivery, maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, and the use of antibiotics, significantly change infants' microbiome.
Nutrition is important for the developing human, whether in utero or in early postnatal life. One of the key nutrients we need is iron.
Humans have evolved highly efficient mechanisms to acquire sufficient iron, both in babies and pregnant women. However, we don’t yet fully understand these mechanisms or the amount of iron we need for good health.