Fetal and Neonatal Health

Overview

The Fetal and Neonatal Heath research group seeks to understand the factors controlling normal fetal and newborn development, including how the fetus transitions to life after birth.

Our research is focused on conditions and diseases that commonly affect newborns and children, including prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, brain injury, and neonatal lung disease.

We also aim to gain insights into how early life events may lead to life-long diseases such as multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, chronic lung diseases, obesity, hypertension and diabetes.

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Diseases we research

Research Group Head | Professor Stuart Hooper AM

Preterm birth is the single greatest cause of death and disability in children. My research is focused on the causes and treatment options for conditions and diseases that commonly affect newborns and children, including prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, brain injury and neonatal lung disease.

Meet the team

News from the lab

15 December 2023

2021 NHMRC Ideas Grants success

See more news articles about Fetal and Neonatal Health

Publication highlights

Skiold, B., Wu, Q., Hooper, S.B., Davis, P.G., McIntyre, R., Tolcos, M., Pearson, J.T., Vreys, R., Egan, G.F., Barton, S.K., Cheong, J.L.Y., Polglase, G., 2014, Early detection of ventilation-induced brain injury using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion tensor imaging: An in vivo study in preterm lambs,PLoS ONE [P], vol 9, issue 4 (article e95804), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-8.
van Vonderen, J.J., Roest, A.A.W., Siew, M.L., Blom, N.A., Van Lith, J.M., Walther, F.J., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2014, Noninvasive measurements of hemodynamic transition directly after birth, Pediatric Research [P], vol 75, issue 3, Nature Publishing Group, United States, pp. 448-452.
Polglase, G., Miller, S.L., Barton, S.K., Kluckow, M., Gill, A.W., Hooper, S.B., Tolcos, M., 2014, Respiratory support for premature neonates in the delivery room: Effects on cardiovascular function and the development of brain injury, Pediatric Research [P], vol 75, issue 6, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 682-688.
Tingay, D.G., Wallace, M.J., Bhatia, R., Schmolzer, G.M., Zahra, V.A., Dolan, M., Hooper, S.B., Davis, P.G., 2014, Surfactant before the first inflation at birth improves spatial distribution of ventilation and reduces lung injury in preterm lambs, Journal Of Applied Physiology [P], vol 116, issue 3, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. 251-258.
Beker, F., Rogerson, S.R., Hooper, S.B., Wong, C., Davis, P.G., 2014, The effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on cardiac function in premature infants with minimal lung disease: a crossover randomized trial, Journal Of Pediatrics [P], vol 164, issue 4, Mosby, Inc., USA, pp. 726-729.
Bhatt, S., Alison, B.J., Wallace, E.M., Crossley, K.J., Gill, A.W., Kluckow, M., te Pas, A.B., Morley, C.J., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Delaying cord clamping until ventilation onset improves cardiovascular function at birth in preterm lambs, Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 2113-2126.
Klingenberg, C., Sobotka, K., Ong, T.S.L., Allison, B.J., Schmolzer, G.M., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., Dawson, J., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Effect of sustained inflation duration; resuscitation of near-term asphyxiated lambs, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition [P], vol 98, issue 3, B M J Group, United Kingdom, pp. 222-227.
Hooper, S.B., Siew, M.L., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., 2013, Establishing functional residual capacity in the non-breathing infant, Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine [P], vol 18, issue 6, WB Saunders Co Ltd, UK, pp. 336-343.
Wheeler, K., Wallace, M.J., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., Fouras, A., Islam, M.S., Siew, M.L., Lewis, R.A., Morley, C.J., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Establishing lung gas volumes at birth: interaction between positive end-expiratory pressures and tidal volumes in preterm rabbits, Pediatric Research [P], vol 73, issue 6, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 734-741.
Schilleman, K., van der Pot, C.J., Hooper, S.B., Lopriore, E., Walther, F.J., Te Pas, A.B., 2013, Evaluating manual inflations and breathing during mask ventilation in preterm infants at birth, Journal Of Pediatrics [P], vol 162, issue 3, Mosby Inc, United States, pp. 457-463.
Hooper, S.B., Fouras, A., Siew, M.L., Wallace, M.J., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., Klingenberg, C., Lewis, R., Davis, P.G., Morley, C.J., Schmolzer, G.M., 2013, Expired CO2 levels indicate degree of lung aeration at birth, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 8 (Art # e70895), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-11.
Leong, A., Fouras, A., Islam, M.S., Wallace, M.J., Hooper, S.B., Kitchen, M.J., 2013, High spatiotemporal resolution measurement of regional lung air volumes from 2D phase contrast x-ray images, Medical Physics [P], vol 40, issue 4, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, College Park USA, pp. 1-11.
van Vonderen, J.J., Kamar, R., Schilleman, K., Walther, F.J., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2013, Influence of the hand squeeze and mask distensibility on tidal volume measurements during neonatal mask ventilation, Neonatology [P], vol 104, issue 3, S Karger AG, Switzerland, pp. 216-221.
Galinsky, R., Hooper, S.B., Wallace, M.J., Westover, A.J., Black, M.J., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters cardiopulmonary and cerebral haemodynamics at birth in preterm lambs,Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 2127-2137.
Galinsky, R., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters cardiopulmonary but not cerebral hemodynamics during open endotracheal tube suction in preterm lambs, Pediatric Research [P], vol 74, issue 1, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 48-53.
Galinsky, R., Hooper, S.B., Polglase, G., Moss, T.J.M., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters fetal cardiopulmonary and cerebral haemodynamics in sheep, Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 20, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 5061-5070.
Leong, A., Paganin, D., Hooper, S.B., Siew, M.L., Kitchen, M.J., 2013, Measurement of absolute regional lung air volumes from near-field x-ray speckles, Optics Express [P], vol 21, issue 23, Optical Society of America, Washington DC USA, pp. 27905-27923.
Brew, N., Hooper, S.B., Zahra, V.A., Wallace, M.J., Harding, R., 2013, Mechanical ventilation injury and repair in extremely and very preterm lungs, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 5 (e63905), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-10.
Bird, A.D., Choo, Y.L., Hooper, S.B., McDougall, A.R.A., Cole, T.J., 2013, Mesenchymal glucocorticoid receptor regulates the development of multiple cell layers of the mouse lung, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology [E], vol 50, issue 2, American Thoracic Society, USA, pp. 419-428.
van Vonderen, J.J., Narayen, N.E., Walther, F.J., Siew, M.L., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2013, The administration of 100% oxygen and respiratory drive in very preterm infants at birth, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 10 (Article #e76898), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-5.
Galinsky, R., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., Black, M.J., Moss, T.J.M., 2013, The consequences of chorioamnionitis: preterm birth and effects on development, Journal of Pregnancy [P], vol 2013, issue Art # 412831, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, USA, pp. 1-11.
Siew, M.L., Wallace, M.J., Allison, B.J., Kitchen, M.J., Te Pas, A.B., Islam, M.S., Lewis, R.A., Fouras, A., Yagi, N., Uesugi, K., Hooper, S.B., 2013, The role of lung inflation and sodium transport in airway liquid clearance during lung aeration in newborn rabbits, Pediatric Research [P], vol 73, issue 4, Nature Publishing Group, United States, pp. 443-449.
McDougall, A.R.A., Hooper, S.B., Zahra, V.A., Cole, T.J., Lo, C.Y., Doran, T., Wallace, M.J., 2013, Trop2 regulates motility and lamellipodia formation in cultured fetal lung fibroblasts, American Journal Of Physiology-Lung Cellular And Molecular Physiology [P], vol 305, issue 7, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. 508-521.

Our research group is keen to discuss funding opportunities

Support our research

Fetal and Neonatal Health

Overview

Diseases we research

Research Group Head | Professor Stuart Hooper AM

Meet the team

News from the lab

NHMRC Investigator Grants 2023

Milking the benefits – umbilical cord clamping done safely

Clinical trial app makes selection simple and fast

Big ideas attract big funding

Trial shows delayed cord clamping difference

New Head for The Ritchie Centre

Victorian Premier’s Awards recognise rising stars

2021 NHMRC Ideas Grants success

Publication highlights

Our research group is keen to discuss funding opportunities