A nation-leading Mater clinic that has supported the safe birth of hundreds of vulnerable babies is aiming to save more tiny lives thanks to funding from the Nine Telethon and Australian Government.
More than $12.39m was raised during this year’s Nine Telethon supporting Mater Little Miracles and the funds are now flowing to clinicians and researchers on the healthcare frontline.
The record Telethon total included $2m from the Federal Government to support advanced medical research at Mater and today eight potentially life-saving studies were announced as grant recipients.
Mater Senior Specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics Professor Sailesh Kumar, who established Mater’s pioneering Fetal Growth and Assessment Clinic in 2022, will lead one of the eight funded studies.
Prof Kumar said despite advances in modern maternity care, stillbirth and newborn death continue to devastate thousands of Australian families each year.
With the help of the Nine Telethon grant, Prof Kumar and his team will conduct a study seeking to identify which babies are most at-risk before they are born, increasing opportunities for early intervention and tailored care.
“We will develop a new approach to assessing fetal brain health during pregnancy by using advanced imaging technology, examining blood flow in the smallest blood vessels of the developing brain,” Prof Kumar said.
“These are areas that are particularly vulnerable to injury when oxygen and nutrient supply is compromised.”
The study will compare 50 babies affected by fetal growth restriction with 50 unaffected babies and investigate whether changes in cerebral blood flow can predict the risk of brain injury after birth.
If successful, the research will identify reliable early warning signs of vulnerability – saving lives and preventing disability through more targeted monitoring, treatment and birth planning.
"Almost 20 per cent of pregnancies in Australia are complicated with some form of growth abnormality," Prof Kumar said.
"These small babies are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and after birth, including stillbirth, neonatal death and severe brain injury.”
The Mater Fetal Growth and Assessment Clinic led by Prof Kumar has pioneered intensive, specialised monitoring for the smallest 10 per cent of babies.
The South Brisbane-based clinic has quantifiably saved lives, with at-risk, growth-restricted babies cared for at the Fetal Growth Clinic 22 times less likely to be stillborn than the national rate.
The model has been so successful that this model of care has been expanded to Logan Hospital and commenced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by a previous PhD student of Prof Kumar’s, Associate Professor Jesrine Hong.
Federal Member for Griffith Renee Coffey MP, who represented the Federal Government at today’s grant recipients' ceremony, said Mater’s invaluable contribution to medical care and research was a cause close to her heart.
“I was born at Mater and one of my sons was born there,” Ms Coffey said.
“Like so many families across Brisbane, we are connected to this institution and to the care, compassion and expertise it has provided for generations.
“The Albanese Government’s $2 million contribution to Nine Telethon is helping Mater to deliver specialist care for newborns and their families, while supporting research that will improve outcomes well into the future.”
The other successful Nine Telethon grant recipients were:
Prof Ju-Lee Oei – two grants to advance the Tiny Baby Initiative and evaluate the care model for infants with prenatal methamphetamine exposure.
Dr Elizabeth Hurrion and A/Prof Paul Dawson – a grant for a clinical trial using intravenous sodium sulfate in preterm infants to prevent cerebral palsy.
Dr Tugba Alarcon-Martinez – a grant to investigate how two non-invasive respiratory supports affect lung aeration in preterm and low-weight infants after extubation.
Prof Helen Liley – a grant to investigate improvements to umbilical cord management at birth.
Dr Ana Ferreira – a grant to determine whether advanced prenatal imaging can identify fetuses at risk of severe neonatal brain injury.
Mater Foundation Chief Executive Andrew Thomas thanked the Australian Government for its generous support of this year’s Nine Telethon supporting Mater Little Miracles.
“The awarding of these $2 million in Nine Telethon research grants will help to support significant advances in medical research and care for mothers and babies,” Mr Thomas said.
“In addition to boosts for research, Nine Telethon has helped enhance care at Mater hospitals across Queensland through the purchase of equipment and the funding of services to make sure our tiniest patients have the support they need.”
