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The importance of play for a child’s development is irrefutable. Playgroups provide a safe environment for children of similar ages to play and develop prior to starting school.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory infection which causes a severe cough and can be particularly dangerous to babies under a year old. Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common chronic, life-shortening genetic condition affecting young Australians. There is no cure but researchers are working to prevent the onset of lung disease.
About 2 per cent of children are estimated to have an intellectual disability. The cause of the condition is unknown in at least 50 per cent of cases.
A severe neurodevelopmental disorder mostly affecting girls.
The science that interprets the way nutrients and other substances in food affect maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease.
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important cause of acquired cardiovascular disease in children and young adults. Virtually non-existent in most of Australia, it still predominantly affects Aboriginal communities.
Occurring in 1% of school-aged children, Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by uncontrollable movements and vocalisations known as tics.
Not all children or teenagers identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. As a result, some may choose to change their name, their clothes or their body. With considerably higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and attempted suicide, the need for specialist mental health services has been recognised.
Vaccination is the injection of an inactivated bacteria or virus into the body. This simulated infection allows an individual's immune system to develop an adaptive immunity for protection against that type of illness. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, this results in herd immunity.