Research from the Robinson Institute's Research Centre for Early Origins of Health and Disease is linking cognitive outcomes in children born pre-term with impaired motor development.

This research was named among the top 10 health and medical research projects in Australia in 2009 by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and was recently featured on Channel 7 National News (view video).

Led by Dr Julia Pitcher, it was discovered that babies born before the optimal gestation period of 40 weeks or below their predicted birth weight show reduced motor system development, which can affect them much longer than previously thought.

Underdevelopment of these motor areas appears to have a negative influence on cognitive abilities related to language comprehension and reading.

This is the first physiological evidence that motor and cognitive dysfunction commonly experienced by preterm children when they reach school age probably has common underlying origins in the brain.

One of the main impacts of the team’s research relates to these late or mildly pre-term children, born between 33-37 weeks of gestation.

Many of the babies present as normal at birth, but there is increasing evidence that the children experience significant motor, cognitive and behavioural difficulties at school age.

Every week of gestation is important in ensuring normal brain development, so apart from early identifi cation of at-risk infants and development of new therapies, the findings raise some questions about when we induce births also.

The good news is that it appears a stimulating postnatal environment can ameliorate many of the negative consequences of pre-term birth on both motor and cognitive development.

The long-term aim of the work is to develop early diagnostic and intervention strategies to minimise the impact of preterm birth and enable these children to realise their full potential at school and into later life.

Asthma is the most common complication of pregnancy in Australia with harmful effects on babies, but many of these could be prevented.

Associate Professor Vicki Clifton from the Robinson Institute says asthma affects 16% of pregnancies in South Australia but SA medical statistics identify less than 7% of pregnant women as asthmatic. Vicki leads the Pregnancy and Development Group of the Robinson Institute based at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Associate Professor Clifton recently presented her research at the University of Adelaide's Research Tuesday (listen to presentation).

"Asthma worsens in reproductive-aged women and just being pregnant can make women more susceptible to an asthma attack," says Associate Professor Clifton.

"There needs to be more awareness around the management of asthma during pregnancy and the importance of taking preventive medication while pregnant, especially in winter when there is an the increased risk of an asthma attack with colds and flu."

Associate Professor Clifton says many women with asthma are not being identified during pregnancy. "It's being under-reported during antenatal visits and therefore under-treated. There is also a misconception with pregnant women that their asthma medication may harm the baby. In fact, the asthma is much more likely to be harmful than the preventive medicine," she says.

She says that 55% of women with asthma will have at least one acute asthma attack during pregnancy and that can lead to detrimental effects on the baby including growth restriction, pre-term delivery or even still births.

"These poor outcomes are mostly preventable with appropriate asthma management, involving regular visits to the GP and a management plan that covers knowing when to take and increase asthma medication and when it's important to go to the hospital emergency department," she says.

"My research shows that if asthma is managed properly there is less risk of an acute attack and therefore reduced risk of poor outcomes for the baby." More information on asthma and pregnancy can be obtained from the Asthma SA website www.asthmasa.org.au.

Research reveals that a man's sperm does far more than fertilise an egg in the womb.

According to Professor Sarah Robertson from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute, semen has special qualities that contribute to a healthy pregnancy, including helping to prepare the female body for nurturing the fetus.

But the news isn't all good for men. It appears some sperm fails to `communicate' with the female reproductive tract and while a man can appear to be fertile, his semen can be rejected by a woman if it's not compatible with her.

This is more likely to happen if a woman has not previously been exposed to his sperm over a period of time.

"We used to think that if a couple couldn't get pregnant, and the man`s semen test was normal, the problem lay with the woman. But it appears this is not always the case," says Professor Robertson.

The fertility specialist is leading a national research project examining the actions of semen in the cervix and uterus after intercourse takes place.

"We have discovered that sperm doesn't just fertilise an egg. It actually contains signalling molecules that are responsible for activating immune changes in women so they can accept a foreign substance in the body - in this case sperm - leading to conception and a healthy pregnancy.

"It's rather like a two-way dance. The male provides information that increases the chances of conception and progression to pregnancy, but the female body has a quality control system which needs convincing that his sperm is compatible, and also judges whether the conditions are right for reproducing. That's where the dance can go wrong with some couples - if the male signals are not strong enough, or if the female system is too `choosy'.

"If we can understand the cascade of events which come into play when the sperm enters the female reproductive tract, we may be able to mimic or assist this with new therapies, encouraging tolerance of her partner's semen, for those couples who are experiencing difficulties becoming pregnant."

Professor Robertson is seeking female participants for her ongoing research, which is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Women aged 18-40 who have had a tubal ligation but are sexually active and in a stable relationship are needed for the study. They cannot be using any other contraceptives and their partners must not have had a vasectomy. Participants will receive an honorarium to cover costs of participation.

Professor Robertson says this is the first study of its kind in Australia and will increase our knowledge of the importance of semen for reproductive health, hopefully leading to improved treatments for infertility and miscarriage.

For more information about the study, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 0419 843 418.