Latest 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 internati...

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 A...

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 Aust...

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...