The Women’s diverse range of clinical and translational research is on show for our inaugural Research Week.
The week will highlight the achievements, findings and ongoing studies from the Women’s own international experts, early career researchers and research students, such as that of University of Melbourne student Pamela Gebrehiwot, who featured in the Herald Sun for her part in an ongoing study on umbilical cord clamping.
Pamela told Herald Sun health reporter Brigid O’Connell there was growing evidence to show that delaying clamping and cutting the umbilical cord gives the newborn up to an extra 100ml of blood.
Pamela’s research involved her sitting with women as they give birth to slip a small monitoring bracelet on their newborn, and delaying cord clamping for at least 90 seconds. The baby’s heart rate and oxygen saturation levels are then monitored for 10 minutes.
The Women’s deputy director of Newborn Research and research lead, Dr Jennifer Dawson, said early results showed delayed clamping improved the baby’s heart rate.
“Heart rate is the most important indicator if a baby is transitioning well or not,” Dr Dawson said.
“We think fewer babies will need active resuscitation if we leave them on the cord. We think it helps that transition by the baby’s internal mechanisms, changing from fetal circulation to outside circulation.”
This week’s impressive line-up of keynote speakers includes Prof Jim Bishop, executive director of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), Prof Helen McLachlan, La Trobe University’s Professor of Midwifery and Prof Kelsey Hegarty, Chair of Family Violence Prevention at the Women’s and University of Melbourne.
Prof Hegarty will present a public lecture this Thursday 24 November from 5pm – 6pm titled ‘Domestic violence: The hidden epidemic in health settings’. Members of the public are invited to attend.