As 2022 draws to a close, we reflect on a very successful year...
No images? Click here
GenView edition #6 | December 2022
Dear GenV supporter,
As 2022 draws to a close, we reflect on a very successful year and take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of Generation Victoria (GenV).
With more than 72,000 babies, mothers and fathers agreeing to be a part of GenV, we are already Australia’s largest-ever birth and parent cohort study. Recruiting in every birthing hospital across the state, we are proud that it is also truly representative of the Victorian population in all its diversity.
This is only possible with the strong backing of our partner organisations, including the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Victorian Government, along with the hard work and drive of GenV staff, collaboration with stakeholders and advisory groups, and community engagement.
As we move into our second and final year of recruitment, we sincerely thank all the families, researchers, health professionals, service providers and policy makers who are contributing to GenV’s ongoing success.
With your help, we have moved closer to our goal of helping create a happier and healthier future for all children and parents.
GenV Leadership Team
GenV at Victorian Government House Public Lecture Series
Last week, our Deputy Director Professor Sharon Goldfeld participated in the Victorian Government House Public Lecture Series - How do we make this the healthiest generation ever, for every child?
The discussion was moderated by MCRI Director, Professor Kathryn North AC, on the current health challenges facing children in Victoria, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging solutions. Other child health experts and panellists included Dr Daniel MacArthur and Commissioner Liana Buchanan.
The event was hosted by the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, and Mr Anthony Howard AM KC.
Thousands of families are using the GenV and Me App
Earlier this year we launched GenV and Me, our purpose-built app that makes it easy for families to let us know how they are doing as they grow. We are delighted that over 9000 parents have already completed one or more of the 35,000 short surveys, covering important topics including newborn and infancy health conditions, sleep, feeding and developmental milestones.
We have also had over 1000 baby movement videos securely shared with us, and the next sets of surveys will include baby photos and interactive gamified assessments.
Why is it important for GenV to represent Victoria’s population?
GenV is proud to reflect Victoria’s diversity. Our families are representative of metropolitan, regional and rural communities; families from low income and education groups, and of differing abilities; those who are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse; and First Nations families.
By recruiting families from communities that aren’t often included in research, GenV can test new approaches, interventions, and treatments to better meet the needs of more Victorian families than possible before.
Representing the diversity of our population will help us solve complex issues affecting children and their parents and make the next generation the healthiest ever.
Collecting biosamples at home
In November, we launched home collection kits to start collecting breast milk and infant stool samples. These will complement the ongoing collection of saliva and a range of antenatal and birth biosamples from most major Victorian pathology providers, including the Victorian Clinical Genetics Service.
Building on what is already collected, these samples provide an unprecedented opportunity to create a more complete picture of human breastfeeding, milk composition, infant gut health and importantly how these all affect maternal and infant health and development.
Around 16,000 GenV participants will be asked during recruitment to contribute to what is likely to become the largest collection of its kind worldwide.
Are you considering a new child, parent or family study? Have you thought about collaborating with GenV?
GenV is Australia’s largest longitudinal cohort of children and parents. Find out more here.
GenV is led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), supported by The Royal Children’s Hospital and The University of Melbourne, and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, the Victorian Government and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.
