Murdoch Children's Research Institute - MCRI

24/07/2025

Social media has helped MCRI researchers confirm that short-term changes to your menstrual cycle are possible following an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

MCRI researcher Dr Aishwarya Shetty and her team used clever machine learning (AI) 💻 to search through de-identified social media posts, combining them with data from Australian GP clinics, to uncover rare or previously unknown side-effects during the pandemic.

✨ Their cutting-edge approach could shine a light on other health concerns in the community, earlier and more accurately, in the future.

"This has been a valuable body of work and shows MCRI could play a key role in tackling public health concerns faster and more effectively while enabling researchers to listen, investigate and inform across consumer health and health informatics," Dr Shetty said.

Read more 👉 https://direc.to/n96F

MCRI study links mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to short-term menstrual changes using GP and social media data. Read more.

23/07/2025

Did you know affects over 3.6 million Australians?

At MCRI, we know that period pain, pelvic pain and endometriosis can stop young people taking part in everyday activities and can impact their mental health and quality of life.

The Longitudinal Study of Teens with Endometriosis, Period and Pelvic Pain (LongSTEPPP) aims to improve care for young people, regardless of their type or severity of pelvic pain.

If you:
+ are aged 10 to 18
+ experience pelvic or period pain
+ have seen your GP about it (or have been referred to a women's health doctor)
+ live in Australia

And both you and your parent or guardian are willing to take part, then you're eligible to join LongSTEPPP!

The LongSTEPPP project asks annual questionnaires of you and your parent or carer, based on periods, pain, quality of life and mental health, and are completed at your own pace online. This takes only an hour of your time each year.

Your unique experience could help us work out the best way to care for other young people with period pain, pelvic pain or endometriosis.

Find out more and take our screening survey here: https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/longsteppp

23/07/2025

😷 When 18 month old Macy developed a fever and had pain while urinating, her mum Kate knew something wasn’t right so she took her to the hospital in search of answers.

Although the doctors suspected a UTI, they decided to wait for test results before starting treatment. ⏳

“The doctors thought she had a urinary tract infection, but they decided to halt treatment until that was confirmed,” Kate said. "It took 18 hours for the pathology results to come back, which confirmed their hunch. But due to delays in receiving treatment Macy deteriorated rapidly."

She was developing sepsis, a serious condition where the body reacts strongly to an infection. If not treated quickly, it can lead to shock, organ failure or even death. 💔

Thankfully, Macy recovered after a week in hospital and is now a happy, healthy 7-year-old.

Kate says she welcomed new MCRI research that found more accurate measures were needed to help diagnose children with sepsis so families like hers don’t have to go through the same experience.

MCRI highlights urgent need for faster sepsis diagnosis in children to prevent life-threatening complications. Read more.

22/07/2025

"Most [children] get concussions from falls...⛷️snow sports are the highest risk, followed by contact sports 🏉 and riding a bike 🚴‍♀️ without a helmet."

While most young people bounce back from a knock to the head, some experience lingering symptoms like 😴 fatigue, headache, brain fog and insomnia.

MCRI's Professor Vicki Anderson spoke 💬 to Radio New Zealand about how personalised treatments can help children and adolescents recover faster and get back to what they love sooner. ❤️ 🤸🏽

Listen to the full interview 👉 https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018994810/how-children-can-be-helped-to-recover-from-concussion

20/07/2025

Eight babies in the UK have been born through a cutting-edge IVF method that replaces disease-causing genes that babies could otherwise be passed on from their mother.

Between 10 and 30 couples in Australia each year could benefit from mitochondrial donation, which ensures that a baby has their parent’s genetic make-up but doesn't inherit a rare and incurable condition known as mitochondrial disease.

This disease impacts how every cell in the body functions, leading to poor growth, muscle weakness, development delays and other impacts to the brain, eyes, heart, liver and kidneys.

Tyler (pictured with his mum Laura and dad Leigh) has a limited visual field and around half of his hearing due to mitochondrial disease.

While mitochondrial donation removes this risk by using unaffected mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg, it is not yet available in Australia outside of an upcoming clinical trial led by Monash University and involving MCRI.

Listen to MCRI Professor David Thorburn discuss the topic on 3AW Breakfast. 👉 https://www.3aw.com.au/three-parent-babies-babies-born-via-fascinating-new-technique/

18/07/2025

"I knew exercise was good in theory, but even as a scientist I didn’t realise how important it was going to be. It was as important as my treatment for the cancer.”

MCRI's Professor Mirana Ramialison is not just a researcher, she is a mother, wife and a breast cancer survivor. Exercise was an important part of her recovery and helped Mirana get on top of her fatigue.

A new study from Cabrini Cancer Institute is investigating whether personalised exercise programs like Mirana’s, given to cancer patients in remission, can improve cancer-related side effects that can linger longer after treatment is done.

Read the full story in the Herald Sun 👉 https://www.heraldsun.com.au/health/cabrini-cancer-institute-trial-studies-longterm-side-effects-on-cancer-patients-in-remission/news-story/b2f6fd30d88d52b32bce643e299d9933

17/07/2025

Primary-school aged children spend over 30 hours a week at school in Australia, but there is often limited opportunity to talk about mental health and wellbeing in between social time and classwork.

Researcher Dr Georgia Dawson spoke to ABC Northwest Queensland radio about MCRI’s successful Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative which has recently been expanded into the outback region of Mount Isa.

Hear all about MHiPS and how it supports both students and teachers to focus on wellbeing and reduce the stigma of speaking up.

Listen from 49:29 👉 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/northwest-breakfast/breakfast/105524300

If you or someone you know needs support, you can contact 🗣☎️️

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Headspace: 1800 650 890
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

16/07/2025

It’s winter, it’s cold 🥶 and your child has decided they don’t need their jumper.

Good news: being cold doesn’t mean they’ll catch a cold. Some kids feel the cold less than others, and as long as the environment is safe, it’s okay to let them experience the natural consequences of being chilly because they didn’t wear a jumper 🧥

According to MCRI’s Professor Harriet Hiscock and clinical psychologist Dr Sara Quinn, letting children dress themselves in winter can teach them important lessons in autonomy, independence and consequences.

Read more 👉 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-11/why-it-is-ok-if-your-child-will-not-wear-warm-clothing-winter/105464580

10/07/2025

Joce's son Reuben was two when he started showing symptoms of a high fever, profuse vomiting and irritability.

“They initially suspected him of having chickenpox, but his diagnosis kept changing and symptoms worsening. Nothing became clear until nine difficult days in," Joce said.

Doctors then discovered Reuben had Kawasaki disease, a rare inflammatory condition that had already damaged his heart.

🩺 Kawasaki disease isn’t well-known, but it affects around one child a day in Australia. Its symptoms like fever, rash, red eyes, and swollen glands, can be misdiagnosed as scarlet fever or measles.

Now almost four, Reuben’s doing well and only requires daily aspirin — but his family’s journey is a reminder of how important early diagnosis is.

🎤 Want to learn more? Join us at MCRI or online on July 19 for a free hybrid event, where parents, clinicians and researchers will share their insights and stories.

📅 Save the date: July 19, 9am–4pm
🔗 Details at https://direc.to/n3x3

08/07/2025

Staff, patients, and families of the Melbourne Children’s Campus came together yesterday to mark NAIDOC Week with our annual Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, led by Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy AO and her son, Craig.

In her powerful Welcome, Aunty Joy set the tone for the week, reflecting on the significance of traditional custodianship and our shared connection to Country.

A particularly moving moment invited everyone to step forward, place a leaf in the firepit, and take part in the cleansing ritual—a gesture of unity, reflection, and renewal.

The ceremony was officially closed by RCH CEO, Dr Peter Steer.

08/07/2025

🌏 The nation of Kiribati has rolled out a mass drug administration campaign to reduce the impact of scabies and trachoma with support from MCRI and the World Scabies Program (WSP) team.

Scabies is a skin condition caused by an infestation of tiny mites that can lead to damage of the kidneys and heart, while trachoma is a serious eye infection and is the leading cause of preventable blindness globally.

The I-Kiribati WSP team was supported by their colleague from Solomon Islands to reduce scabies by assisting local health workers to detect, monitor and reduce the impact of these common contagious infections.

On World Skin Day, we’re celebrating the work of the WSP team and our partners — including Miiri, Rose, Johnina, Priya, Jeremiah, Tessa and Oliver (pictured in the selfie!).

Send them your best wishes in the comments!

06/07/2025

🌟 Great news for students and teachers in Mount Isa in northwest QLD!

The Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) pilot program is expanding — with dedicated mental health leaders now being placed in every local primary school and one high school in the region 🙌

This means more support for children as they navigate life’s ups and downs, helping to build resilience and ensuring no child slips through the cracks 💛

The program has already seen great success in Victoria, and we’re so excited to see it grow in Queensland!

Read more 👉 https://direc.to/nU1W