We interviewed Jackie Davis PhD, Co-Director of ORIGINS about longitudinal research on prenatal and perinatal health. You can watch the replay below. Please note that you will be asked to provide your email address at the 30-minute mark to continue viewing the replay.

What Is ORIGINS?

ORIGINS is the largest study of its kind in Australia, following 10,000 children, from their time in the womb, over a decade to improve child and adult health. It is based at the Kids Research Institute Australia. ORIGINS is following the progress of pregnant women, their partners and babies for the first five years of the baby’s life, and beyond, with an increasing understanding that an individual’s lifetime health and disease may be programmed at a very early stage – while a child is still in the womb.

The ultimate goal of ORIGINS is to reduce the rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases (what we call chronic health conditions). ORIGINS provides:

• A stronger focus on a “healthy start”‘ for short-term as well as chronic health conditions.
• A deeper understanding of the common early biological pathways that lead to chronic health conditions.

The project collects detailed data and samples of environmental and biological profiles using-cutting edge technologies such as metagenomics, immune profiling, metabolomics, and genomics.

To date, ORIGINS has published over 100 peer-reviewed medical research studies, some of which are listed in the Sources & References section below. These studies aim to prevent chronic health condition such as:

• Allergies
• Eczema
• ADHD

Examples of these studies include:

• Baughman, N., et al. The Prevention of Anxiety and Depression in Early Childhood. Front Psychol. 2020 Sep 30:11:517896.
• Cleary, D.B., et al. A Parent-Mediated Intervention for Newborns at Familial Likelihood of Autism: Initial Feasibility Study in the General Population. Adv Neurodev Disord. 2022;6(4):494-505.
• Davis, J.A., et al. Can Positive Mindsets Be Protective Against Stress and Isolation Experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Emotional Health and Wellbeing Needs of Perinatal Women. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 29;18(13):6958.
• Divarka, N., et al. Effect of maternal prebiotic supplementation on human milk immunological composition: Insights from the SYMBA study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2024 Sep;35(9):e14226.
• Elliott, C., et al. Early Moves: A protocol for a population-based prospective cohort study to establish General Movements as an early biomarker of cognitive impairment in infants. BMJ Open. 2021 Apr 9;11(4):e041695.
• Hagemann, E., et al. Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD): The importance of life-course and transgenerational approaches. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2021 Dec:40:3-9.
• Ibilola, O., et al. Environmental (Perinatal) risk factors of ADHD in a sibling control design study. Open Access Journal of Behavioural Science & Psychology. 2021 Feb 05;4(1).
• Meldrum, S.J., et al. Do infants of breast-feeding mothers benefit from additional long-chain PUFA from fish oil? A 6-year follow-up. Br J Nutr. 2020 Oct 14;124(7):701-708.
• Palmer, D.J., et al. Maternal peanut and egg consumption during breastfeeding randomized pilot trial. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2022 Sep;33(9):e13845.
• Parkin, K.,, et al. Risk Factors for Gut Dysbiosis in Early Life. Microorganisms. 2021 Sep 30;9(10):2066.
• Rowley, C.E., et al. Altered dietary behaviour during pregnancy impacts systemic metabolic phenotypes. Front Nutr. 2023 Dec 4:10:1230480.
• Silva, D.T., et al. Introducing the ORIGINS project: a community-based interventional birth cohort. Rev Environ Health. 2020 Sep 25;35(3):281-293.
• Stinson, L.F., et al. Human Milk From Atopic Mothers Has Lower Levels of Short Chain Fatty Acids. Front Immunol. 2020 Jul 21:11:1427.

What Affects Prenatal and Perinatal Health?

These studies and others help scientifically answer which factors can affect prenatal and perinatal health. In general, the following factors are important determinants of a baby’s health:

• Smoking and pollutants
• Microbial diversity
• Water, air and food quality

In This Webinar

In this webinar, Dr. Davis helped us to answers questions such as:

• What is ORIGINS?
• What are some of the most compelling research findings from ORIGINS?
• What are key takeaways that parents can put to use for improving prenatal and perinatal health?

Key Discussions

Children’s Allergies and Their Development

The cohort study beginning in 2017 aims to track and analyze the progression of children’s allergies, including eczema. Results from specialized research into how factors like breastfeeding and genetics might influence these conditions remain under exploration. For example, ORIGINS studied factors such as lower levels of short-chain fatty acids in human milk from atopic mothers as well as the effect of maternal prebiotic supplementation on human milk immunological composition.

Impact of Breastfeeding and Dietary Habits

There is a significant interest in understanding the interplay between breastfeeding, dietary habits, the microbiome and child health outcomes such as eczema and allergies. The overarching goal is to determine how early nutritional choices might pre-program susceptibilities or resilience to various conditions.

Jaw Growth, Oral Development, and Sleep Apnea

Jaw growth and development are under-researched areas but are important due to their links to Obstructive Sleep Apnea and other oral health factors such as tongue ties and other tethered oral tissues, which can be underlying factors in ADHD and other neurodevelopmental challenges. There is a need to educate parents and medical practitioners on identifying and addressing underdeveloped jaws, which can be influenced by maternal diet.

Parental Involvement and Mental Health

Parents’ involvement and mental health profoundly influences children’s development. High rates of mental health issues and obesity among parents underline the importance of holistic family health interventions. Some of ORGINSS studies showed that addressing parents’ mental health can have beneficial benefits on children’s well-being.

Technological Impact on Child Development

The increased use of screens, especially during COVID-19, has prompted research into its potential effects on children’s development, such as abnormal sleep patterns, anxiety, and emotional regulation. Collecting and adapting data on screen use helps researchers understand the long-term developmental impact of pervasive screen exposure. Some of ORIGINS’ studies have looked the effect of screentime on mother-baby attachment.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Nonprofit educates on reversing chronic childhood conditions.
07:45 ORIGINS addresses developmental risks in Western Australia.
10:44 Real-time feedback guides integrated, collaborative child study.
20:13 Global assessments track child development risk factors.
26:04 ORIGINS is interventional, referring to services.
30:32 Research platform enables diverse, independent study integrations.
36:36 ORIGINS aids clinical trial expansion, explores respiratory biomarkers.
40:59 Biological research, dental caries, childhood wellbeing focus.
44:25 Promoting early childhood flourishing.
50:15 Significant funding enabled extensive research collaboration.
59:42 Jaw development issues overlooked in U.S. pediatrics.
01:00:42 Few pediatric dentists know about myofunctional therapy or airway orthodontics.
01:09:28 Tongue tie release: complex, often oversimplified procedure.
01:15:21 RAIN study tracks generational health in Australia.
01:17:30 Obesity can lead to inflammation and children’s mental issues.
01:26:49 Need for postnatal support and care.
01:29:20 Environmental data limited by questionnaire structure.
01:38:17 Cohort studies crucial despite cost for advancements.

About Jackie Davis

Disclaimer

This webinar is not a substitute for medical advice, treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a medical professional. It is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on to make determinations related to treatment of a medical condition. Epidemic Answers has not verified and does not guaranty the accuracy of the information provided in this webinar.

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