Mildura Private Paediatrics

13/01/2026

To our patients and community:

We are on a much needed break from work.

We will be back on the 19th January and can attend to patient requests from that date. If you need something urgently see your primary care physician or other urgent care facility or your pharmacist.

We look forward to another good year and will continue to provide our ongoing paediatric care.

Dr Peter Beggs and Kelli Beggs

24/09/2025

The Trump administration has made highly controversial claims about the causes of autism and ADHD, asserting that paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) use during pregnancy increases the risk of children being diagnosed as neurodivergent.

RANZCOG joins leading clinicians and scientists worldwide in rejecting these claims. Scientific evidence shows no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD during childhood, with several large and reliable studies directly contradicting the administration’s statement.

The causes of neurodivergence are incompletely understood and remain complex, involving both genetic and environmental factors. Earlier studies raising concerns about paracetamol could not determine whether the medicine itself was responsible, or whether other factors explained the association.

A much larger and stronger study, published in 2024 by Ahlqvist and colleagues, looked at 2.5 million children in Sweden. When they accounted for important factors like family history of autism/ADHD and sibling comparisons, they found no link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and children developing autism or ADHD.

The use of medications during pregnancy should always balance the potential benefits against any potential harms - both of the medication and of the condition being treated - to the mother and the fetus. The Ahlqvist study provides conclusive evidence that paracetamol use during pregnancy does not increase the chance of neurodivergence in the offspring and therefore should be considered safe to use in pregnancy where there is a clear reason to do so.

People who are uncertain about medication use in pregnancy should discuss this with their doctor or midwife.

Learn more in a statement on the College’s website: https://ranzcog.edu.au/news/paracetamol-use-in-pregnancy/

16/07/2025

09/06/2025

01/04/2025

30/03/2025

Envisage Families program: free evidence-based for families with children aged 0-8 who have a disability, developmental concern, or neurodiversity. No diagnosis needed to access this program.

16/02/2025

Nellie Patterson - Psychologist in Mildura taking new referrals in a new child and family Psychology practice. Now taking referrals for children under 12 years with current availability in next few weeks - March 2025.

09/10/2024

06/03/2024

Getting out of bed 🛌 can be a challenge!

29/02/2024

21/02/2024

Play Minecraft April School Holidays! Or check out icannetwork.online Autistic network in Australia

16/01/2024

Start thinking about school…

The summer holidays are coming to an end, and it's almost time for children to head back to . For many children, this transition can be challenging, but for children on the autism spectrum, it can be especially difficult.

Here are strategies to make the transition back to school as smooth as possible. Do you have more tips and tricks for a smooth transition back to school?