Latest News
More News
-
Boosting safety and recovery for young tonsillectomy patients through research into risk factors 09 September 2021 Greater understanding of risk factors is key to boosting safety and recovery for thousands of young tonsillectomy patients according to a Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) researcher. Consultant Respiratory and Sleep Paediatrician Dr Mon Ohn has been awarded funding to co-lead the ‘Nightowl’ project which will assess the degree of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a common childhood sleep breathing disorder, for a group of tonsillectomy patients before and after their surgery. Dr Ohn said there are potentially enormous benefits for both clinicians and families from this project because tonsillectomies are one of the most common surgical procedures performed in WA and 95 per cent of these surgeries are due to OSA rather than tonsillitis. “We know that while parents generally see significant improvement in their children’s sleep following a tonsillectomy, we also... -
Three questions with Dr Rishi Kotecha 12 August 2021 Dr Rishi Kotecha is a consultant in clinical haematology and oncology at PCH, Co-head of the Leukaemia Translational Research laboratory at Telethon Kids Institute and Associate Professor at Curtin Medical School. Dr Kotecha is involved in a range of national and international research collaborations with high profile groups including the U.S based Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and the international Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster study group . Within these groups he is responsible for the design and implementation of clinical trials for children with leukaemia worldwide and for babies with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Dr Kotecha is an inaugural member of the National Blood Cancer Taskforce, established to improve the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of blood cancers. He is also the clinical lead for paediatric leukaemia and lymphoma for WA with ANZCHOG and the WA principal... -
Improving aftercare for young people at risk of suicide 28 June 2021 A collaborative research team has secured federal funding to examine ways to improve the experience that children and young people have when they present to hospital emergency departments for an acute mental health crisis with the aim of reducing the rate of youth suicide. The team which includes researchers from Telethon Kids Institute, PCH, the WA Country Health Service, the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service and Youth Focus will also examine ways that aftercare services are delivered to patients who are admitted to hospital for self-harm incidents. Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA) has allocated funding for the project, which will take place in Perth at Perth Children’s Hospital, Geraldton and Albany. Clinical Psychologist at PCH and Honorary Researcher at Telethon Kids Institute Zamia Pedro said acute mental health presentations to emergency departments have continu... -
Cerebral palsy children and young people take big strides thanks to landmark ‘Botox’ study 11 June 2021 A Perth Children’s Hospital researcher has demonstrated the long-term safety and benefit of Botulinum toxin type-A (or “Botox”), as one important element to treat the growing muscles of children and young people with cerebral palsy (CP). Paediatrician Dr Jane Valentine, Head of Research, Kids Rehab WAat Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) and Professor of Paediatrics at The University of Western Australia’s Medical School has tracked the progress of all children with cerebral palsy who have been treated with Botox in WA over the past 25 years as part of her ground-breaking study. Dr Valentine’s work has paved the way for the use of Botox as part of mainstream care to improve function, support and treat pain for cerebral palsy patients since 1995 when Princess Margaret Hospital became one of the first paediatric hospitals internationally to incorporate Bot... -
Fit for Play wins fans and boosts confidence for Pathways participants 11 June 2021 A pressure-free physical activity-based program that develops fitness, movement and social skills via such engaging activities as juggling and pirate and spaceship adventure play has been shown to boost confidence in children with mental health disorders and motivate them to lead more active lives. The Fit for Play program – based on the ‘exercise is medicine’ concept - was established by exercise physiologist Kat Fortnum, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia (School of Human Sciences) and Pathways, a specialised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) program, as part of her PhD project in 2019. Ms Fortnum set out to cater for the physical activity-based needs of primary-school-aged children with disorders including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, severe anxiety and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Following a six month i...
Last Updated:
22/06/2021