DHHS funding to help develop treatment for chronic lung disease in premature babies

A/Prof Rebecca Lim

Congratulations to Associate Professor Rebecca Lim and her team on receiving the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund from the Department of Health and Human Serivices (DHHS) for her research on bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disease that affects extremely premature babies.

Monash researchers evaluate world-first study involving stem cells for premature babies with chronic lung disease

Monash researchers with one of the
infants involved in the study.

Monash University researchers have assessed the long-term outcomes of their world-first study that used placental stem cells in premature babies with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a form of chronic lung disease.

Congratulations to Dr Atul Malhotra on receiving the ANZNN Neonatal Research Award

Dr Atul Malhotra

Congratulations to Dr Atul Malhotra on receiving the Neonatal Research Award from the Australia New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN), the peak body which collects neonatal outcomes data across ANZ.

Indian doctor couple nominated for Pride of Australia award

A Melbourne-based couple has been nominated for the Pride of Australia Award for helping mothers who experience high-risk births.  Read SBS story here.

Monash Heath Award for improving lung outcomes for premature babies

Dr Atul Malhotra and Dr Rebecca Lim

The team behind a world-first trial using cells from the human placenta to repair the lungs of premature babies has been awarded a Monash Health Award for improving healthcare through clinical research.

Publications week ending 21 September 2018

Using patient factors to predict obstetric complaints and litigation: A mixed methods approach to quality improvement. Benjamin Nowotny et al. published in the Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management.

Effect of an in-situ simulation workshop on home birth practice in Australia. Arunaz Kumar et al. published in Women and Birth.

The prevalence of computed tomography‐defined leaflet thrombosis in intra‐ versus supra‐annular transcatheter aortic valve prostheses. Hashrul Rashid et al. published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

Publications week ending 7 September 2018

Elective replacement of intravenous cannula in neonates-a randomised trial. Atul Malhotra et al. published in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Planned private homebirth in Victoria 2000–2015: a retrospective cohort study of Victorian perinatal data. Miranda Davies-Tuck et al. published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

The NACSTOP trial: A multi‐center, cluster‐controlled trial of early cessation of acetylcysteine in acetaminophen overdose. Anselm Wong et al. published in Hepatology.

Publications week ending 17 August 2018

First‐In‐Human Administration of AllogeneicAmnion Cells in Premature Infants WithBronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Safety Study. Rebecca Lim et al. published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Amnion epithelial cells – a novel therapy for ischemic stroke? Rebecca Lim et al. published in Neural Regeneration Research.

Outcomes of Patients Admitted to Hospital Medical Units with Back Pain.  Lynden Roberts et al. published in the Internal Medicine Journal.


Imaging the Brain In Situ with Phase Contrast CT. Stuart Hooper et al. published in Microscopy and Microanalysis.

Treble grant success for Monash doctor saving lives in India

Dr Kumar and Dr Malhotra with local health leaders
 in a health centre in rural Punjab

A Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ (RACP) grant will enable expansion of a teaching and research program in maternal and neonatal resuscitation in parts of rural India, potentially saving the lives of hundreds of women and babies.

For the third consecutive year, Monash University researcher and Monash Children’s Hospital neonatologist, Dr Atul Malhotra is the recipient of the RACP Foundation’s Eric Burnard Fellowship, allowing him to travel to India to further expand an educational program for health workers, medical and nursing students to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes of difficult child birth.

Octreotide Use in Neonates: A Case Series

Atul Malhotra et al. published in Drugs in R&D.

Abigail goes home thanks to Monash doctors

Baby Abigail, 2 days old

Abigail Meijers was born on 2 December 2017 at just under 27 weeks, weighing a mere 422g—the same size and weight as a large tin of tuna.  While most babies born so small don’t survive, Abigail has a bright future thanks to the doctors and researchers at the Monash Health Translation Precinct (MHTP).

Abigail was born with a condition known as fetal growth restriction. She now weighs a healthy 3.5kg, and having spent all of her life so far at the Monash Children’s Hospital, she went home last week.

Fetal or intrauterine growth restriction (FGR/IUGR) affects more than 10% of pregnancies worldwide, and has significant implications for short-term and long-term wellbeing of the infant.

Monash Children’s Hospital neonatologist Dr Atul Malhotra said FGR is strongly associated with stillbirth, preterm birth, and in newborn survivors, increased risk of developing complications, including adverse neurodevelopment in childhood.

Dr Atul Malhotra with Abigail's parents Owen Peters and
Taryn Meijers leaving Monash Children's Hospital

“The leading cause of FGR is placental insufficiency, with the placenta failing to adequately meet the increasing oxygen and nutritional needs of the growing fetus,” said Dr Malhotra, who is also a research fellow at Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research.

“When the fetus is deprived of oxygen, there is a decrease in fetal growth and a redistribution of blood flow preferentially to the brain.”

However, this does not ensure normal brain development.

“Early detection of brain injury in FGR is crucial, allowing for the prediction of short and long term neurodevelopmental consequences,” Dr Malhotra said.

Dr Atul Malhotra is investigating diagnostic tools from human and preclinical studies for the detection and assessment of brain injury in FGR fetuses and neonates.  He hopes that increased and early detection of brain injury will lead to interventions to improve long-term outcomes for these babies.

“Optimising neurodevelopmental outcomes for FGR infants requires a collaborative approach including neurological examination, imaging in the neonatal period, movement and behaviour testing,” Dr Malhotra said.

Baby Abigail has benefitted from the research and treatment provided at MHTP.

“Her lungs are almost normal and her brain is also looking good, although she’ll obviously need close follow up,” Dr Malhotra said.

“Not many babies at her weight survive—she has not only survived, but she looks pretty good and has a bright future.”

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Exploring the learning experiences of neonatal nurses with in-situ and off-site simulation-based education: A qualitative study

Atul Malhotra et al. published in the Journal of  Neonatal Nursing.

Characterising the Maturation of T Cell Polarisation in Preterm and Term Infants and in the Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Marcel Nold et al. published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Cutting-edge software at MCH will improve diagnosis and treatment of children with high-risk neurological conditions

Dr Atul Malhotra and Mr Jeff Chen, Monash Children's Hospital 
MRI Supervisor

A $55,000 Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences equipment fund grant will enhance imaging capabilities at the Monash Children’s Hospital, enabling further research into developmental brain injuries.

Dr Atul Malhotra from the Monash University Department of Paediatrics has received the funds to install vital research software on the MRI scanner in the Monash Children’s Hospital.

In collaboration with the University of Queensland and his colleagues Professor Michael Ditchfield and Associate Professor Michael Fahey, Dr Malhotra, who is also a consultant neonatologist at Monash Children’s Hospital, has an NHMRC funded project grant worth more than $1.6 million to study preterm neurodevelopment. This includes investigating MRI images of preterm infants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technology.

“DTI technology is used to map and characterise the three-dimensional diffusion of water in the brain as a function of spatial location,” Dr Malhotra said.

“Data from this technology provides us with estimates of white matter connectivity patterns in the brain from white matter.”

“This is particularly useful in studying developmental brain injuries, for example, preterm white matter injury.”

Dr Malhotra said he could not have commenced this vital research project without the DTI software.

“While we’ve used this technology in preclinical research at Monash Biomedical Imaging, having this technology on site at Monash Children’s Hospital provides excellent access for our young patients as more applications of this technology become available,” Dr Malhotra said.

“This new technology also opens up more opportunities for the Monash Health Translation Precinct to run innovative projects and studies in vulnerable infants and children in the future, as well as building on collaborative studies with other institutions who use this technology to image the brain.”

“Ultimately, DTI is likely to be embedded in the clinical care of children - especially those with high risk neurological conditions, and will eventually lead to sophisticated diagnosis and access to earlier, targeted treatment,” Dr Malhotra said.

Dr Malhotra is grateful for the Faculty’s support, and in particular Deputy Dean (Research) Professor Ross Coppel for funding this vital imaging software.

Systemic and transdermal melatonin administration prevents neuropathology in response to perinatal asphyxia in newborn lambs

Suzie Miller et al. published in the Journal of Pineal Research.

Read article here.

Inpatient outcomes of preterm infants receiving ω-3 enriched lipid emulsion (SMOFlipid): an observational study

Atul Malhotra et al. published in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Read article here.

Congenital chylothorax: current perspectives and trends

Mohan Krishnamurthy, Atul Malhotra published in Research and Reports in Neonatology.

Read article here.

Member profile: Childbirth training in the developing world

Atul Malhotra published in VicDoc.

Read article here.

A Randomized Trial of Conditioned or Unconditioned Gases for Stabilizing Preterm Infants at Birth

Atul Malhotra et al. published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Read article here.

Screening investigations in small-for-gestational-age near-term and term infants

Atul Malhotra et al. published in the European Journal of Paediatrics.

Read article here.