Dr Gurmeet Singh and Belinda Davison present ‘Down the track with the Aboriginal Birth Cohort study: 1987-2007’, on Monday 19 November, from 12pm to 1pm.
The Aboriginal Birth Cohort study, started in 1987 by Dr Susan Sayers, now in its twenty-first year, is recognised as the oldest cohort of indigenous people in the world.
Twenty years ago, maternal and perinatal data was collected on 686 Aboriginal babies within four days of their birth at the Royal Darwin Hospital (Wave 1). Thirteen per cent of babies were low birth weight (LBW <2500grams birth weight), 25 per cent were growth retarded and six per cent were preterm.
At mean age 11 years, an 86 per cent follow-up was achieved (Wave 2). Overall growth outcomes were poor and those who were growth retarded at birth remained shorter, lighter and with smaller head circumferences than those appropriately grown at birth.
In January 2006, Wave 3 follow-up commenced (currently 70 per cent follow-up rate) with an expanded protocol including carotid intimal-medial thickness, heart rate variability, cognitive function, dental assessment and a psychological questionnaire in addition to anthropometry, biochemistry, blood pressure and kidney ultrasound.
The seminar will describe the cohort, present salient results obtained so far, and outline future plans.
Dr Singh and Belinda make this presentation on behalf of the ABC team, Menzies School of Health Research.
This seminar takes place in Seminar Room, Menzies School of Health Research, Building 58, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus.