Nutrition in Early Life

The Nutrition in Early Life team conducts research investigating nutritional strategies for improved maternal and child health, including clinical trials, mechanistic studies and translatable research activities.

Our research includes identifying nutritional and environmental factors which influence the developing human immune system, particularly factors which predispose to allergic diseases (eczema, food allergy, hay fever and asthma in early childhood), as well as intervention studies for the prevention of allergic disease in childhood.

Team Highlights

1. We have recruited more than 2000 mothers and babies in a current NHMRC funded large-scale multi-centre (Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney) food allergy prevention study – known as the PrEggNut Study. This study is aiming to determine whether the risk of developing a food allergy can be reduced by a maternal diet rich in eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
2. In 2023, we have completed the 1-year-old child follow-up and commenced the 5-year-old child follow-up of the NHMRC funded allergy prevention study, which recruited 652 mothers and their babies – known as the SYMBA Study. This study is aiming to determine whether the risk of a child developing any allergic diseases (including eczema, food allergy, asthma and hay fever) can be reduced by a maternal diet supplemented with prebiotics (a type of fibre) during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
3. We have commenced recruitment for a new NHMRC funded large-scale multi-centre (Perth and Melbourne) food allergy prevention study – known as the Nuts For Babies Study. This study is aiming to determine whether the amount of nuts a mother eats during breastfeeding can reduce the risk of nut allergy development in babies.