LOCAL RESEARCH. GLOBAL IMPACT.
The ORIGINS Project is the largest study of its kind in Australia, following 10,000 families over a decade to improve child and adult health.
The unique long-term study is one of the most comprehensive studies of pregnant women and their families in Australia, recruiting families who are receiving pregnancy care or planning to deliver their baby at Joondalup Health Campus, as well as families from the Joondalup and Wanneroo communities.
Perth Pregnancy Centre in Clarkson is also a recruitment point for ORIGINS.
ORIGINS will follow the progress of pregnant women, their partners and babies for the first five years of the baby’s life, following an increasing understanding that an individual’s lifetime health and disease may be programmed at a very early stage – while a child is still in the womb.
The project is collecting detailed information on how a child’s early environment and parents’ physical health and genetics influence the risk of a wide range of diseases and conditions such as asthma, eczema, food allergies, hay fever, diabetes, obesity and autism. It will also look at how language development can affect outcomes such as academic achievement, social ability and relationships.
Benefits to participating families
As well as contributing to global research and the health of future generations, participant families receive free allergy testing and paediatric health and development checks at one, three and five years of age, with results and feedback provided to their GP. This unique provision of real-time feedback on a child’s development enables earlier intervention and referral to sub-specialist services.
The ORIGINS Project also provides opportunities to be involved in exciting new sub-projects that allow further benefits to be gained by families already involved in ORIGINS. These sub-projects have been launched off the main ORIGINS project and look at multiple, more focused aspects of child and family health and development.
Working together
The ORIGINS Project is a collaboration between the Telethon Kids Institute and Joondalup Health Campus which is part of Ramsay Health Care. The project is funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Commonwealth Government of Australia through the Channel 7 Telethon Trust.
Dr Michael Mosley on The ORIGINS Project
Coronavirus - Here's what you need to know
COVID-19 Advice for ORIGINS Participants
The ORIGINS Project is following the advice of the Department of Health regarding the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
All ORIGINS activities are now continuing. The Project is constantly mindful of protecting the wellbeing of our families and maintaining the stability of the research, so additional hygiene protocols have been put in place across our procedures.
Find out more about COVID-19 and how it is affecting ORIGINS.
We also provide advice and tips for families and pregnant mums.
Latest news
The ORIGINS Project hits the Daily Mail
ORIGINS Adventures at the Telethon Family Festival
The ORIGINS Project has welcomed its 4000th family
Real-time feedback: A Family Story
More about ORIGINS
Current studies
Meet some of our ORIGINS families
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