PROJECTS

EMBRACE

EMBRACE is a state of the art portable NMRI (Neonatal Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine designed by Aspect Imaging. This machine is designed to be placed within NICU's (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) to allow for efficient and effective MRI scanning of neonates. It will become part of the Centre of Excellence in Central South Africa. This machine removes the obstacle of minimum infant weight/size required for a traditional MRI scan. It enables doctors to establish prognoses better, diagnose neonates earlier, and begin treatment earlier without transporting them to an MRI machine outside of the NICU. This machine will also create academic opportunities in postgraduate neonatal research projects and unique training opportunities for staff. It will also allow us to document and investigate intra-cranial pathology in neonates and better equip ourselves to care for neonates, especially in the NICU. We are currently fundraising for this very innovative project.

FS MACAH

FS MACAH Mock-Up-a
FS Macah

This project's ultimate purpose is to establish a freestanding, independent Mother and Child Academic hospital, which will serve the entire maternal, infant and child population of Central South Africa at both tertiary and quaternary levels. This centre of excellence will generate opportunities for specialist and super-specialist training. An excellent research unit with a strong community commitment, which will offer additional research and development opportunities, will be established. The Provincial healthcare service demands, the academic teaching responsibilities and the Provincial political will support the development and construction of a Mother and Child Hospital as part of the Universitas Academic complex. The 250-bed Mother and Child hospital will significantly benefit the community of the Free State, Northern Cape, Lesotho and some adjacent provinces. It will support the Sustainable Development Goals' objectives, and it will further Free State Strategic Transformation Plan (STP) by improving access to healthcare, thereby reducing paediatric mortality and morbidity and improving maternal health. This hospital will be unique, as it will be the first Mother and Child Tertiary Academic Hospital in South Africa. The way in which the model will be conceptualized may serve as a blueprint for other academic hospitals in the country. 

MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY PROJECT

In 2015 the United Nations introduced 17 global Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by the year 2030. One of these goals, goal 3, "ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages" and involves the following;

"By 2030, reduce the global maternity mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100 000 live births";

  • "By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births"; and
  • "By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing". This project aims to help achieve these goals by improving the mortality and morbidity rates of the Free State. The Free State's Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for 2019/2020 is 8.2 and Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) 5.5, according to DHIS. The Free State had the highest U5MR and the highest iMMR (institutional Maternal Mortality Rate) in South Africa in 2019.

Different approaches/initiatives will be undertaken to impact the high mortality and morbidity rates in the Free State province like;

  • Identifying the reasons and causes for the high mortality rates in all of the five different areas in the FS
  • To build the different strategies according to evidence.
  • Impacting training and competencies of staff in the neonatal and child healthcare segments
  • Form partnerships with role players in nutrition, mental health and breastfeeding/KMC.
  • Establish research opportunities to enable impact on intervention and policy-making platforms.

MAKE THE FIRST 1 000 DAYS COUNT PROJECT


Concept of the First 1000 Days-a

The "First 1 000 Days" refers to the crucial developmental phase of a child's life, spanning from conception to age two. During this phase, the child's brain forms one million neural connections per second. The nine months of pregnancy + the first two years of life make up a fragile period of rapid brain development. This period will determine the child's developmental trajectory for the rest of his/her life. By employing the right behaviours, the child's future can be secured. It is vital that we consider this crucial developmental period and that defeating behaviours are identified and avoided, and constructive behaviours are reinforced and implemented to ensure that we produce healthy, fully developed individuals.

RESEARCH

The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health has always been committed to the university's vision of being a research-led university.  Research is promoted at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  The Department is also involved in several clinical trials in close collaboration with FARMOVS.

  • Undergraduate medical students

    Our consultants act as supervisors for student groups during the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Research Project module  (MSSM).  During this module, the students have the opportunity to engage hands-on in research methodology: planning a research project, writing a protocol,  execution of the project, interpretation of the results and writing a research report.  Many of these projects have resulted in publications.

  • Postgraduate students (Registrars specialising in Paediatrics)

    As part of the requirements to obtain the MMed(Paed) degree, all registrars must successfully complete a research project.  The goal is to produce quality research that is publishable and contributes to the scientific body of knowledge.  The Department's Research coordinator specifically supports the registrars in reaching this goal.  This includes training on the research process and ethical aspects of research involving children and practical assistance and support to supervisors.

  • Contract research trials

    The clinical research unit is located at FARMOVS.  The close collaboration between FARMOVS and the Department has significantly increased our capacity to participate in clinical trials.  The income generated from participation in contract research trials forms an integral part of the Department's third stream funding utilised for capacity building. 

  • Departmental research projects

Research is not done only as part of academic programs. Consultants within the Department are involved in their research and in collaboration with other departments and institutions, e.g. SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Hospitalised South African Children: A multi-centre collaborative study to develop a COVID-19 Paediatric Registry: SA COVID KIDS study.

Current Research:

  • Children with special needs, Prof Andre (A) Venter
  • Paediatric Oncology and other projects, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Life support and other Projects, Dr Lincoln (LJ) Solomon
  • Fenotipiese kenmerke, Prof Stephen (SC) Brown
  • Efficacy and safety of micafunging, Dr Annalie (AE) van der Vyver
  • Neonatale intensiewe sorgeenhede, Prof Beyers (BB) Hoek
  • Perinatal problems and other Projects, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
Summary of previous study areas:
  • Neurodevelopment, Prof Andre (A) Venter
  • Neonatology, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • Child development, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • Oncology & Haematology, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Infectious diseases, Dr Ute (UM) Hallbauer
  • Nephroblastoma, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Leukemia, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Diacaustic 112/09, Digitally Automated Paediatric
  • Cardiac auscultation, Prof Stephen (SC) Brown
Previous studies:
  • Coping responses as moderator in subjective well being, self-esteem, anger and comorbid psychopathology in adolescent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Prof Andre (A) Venter
  • Demografie van trauma in pediatriese pasiënte, Prof Andre (A) Venter (Studente)
  • An evaluation of different echocardiographic modalities to measure left ventricle function in children receiving chemotherapy, Me J Badenhorst (Brown) BTech
  • The assessment of Echocardiography and tissue Doppler Profiles of asymptomatic patients in a general cardiology practice, J Steyn (Brown) BTech
  • M-mode measurement in premature infants, Prof Stephen (SC) Brown
  • The establishment of reference endocardiographic measurement for premature and low birth weight infants in the Free State and Northern Cape, Me S Jacobs (Brown) BTech
  • 3D LV regter ventrikel funksie, Prof Stephen (SC) Brown
  • Homograft inplanting by skape in samewerking met Kardiotorakschirurgie, Mnr Rudolph (SR) Pretorius
  • International randomized double blind study evaluating the efficacy and safety of clopidigres 0.2mg/kg once daily versus placebo in neonates and infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease palliated with a systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt (e.g.) modified Blalock Taussig shunt, Prof Stephen (SC) Brown, Dr Andre (AD) Bruwer
  • Prone positioning and motor development in the first 6 weeks of life, Me Dorothy (DC) Russell
  • Perinatal problem identification, Dr David (DJ) Griessel, Dr Annalie (AE) van der Vyver
  • Quality of language stimulation in Pre-school settings, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • Preventable factors in neurodevelopmental delay, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • Perinatal problem identification program (PPIP), Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • The quality of language stimulation in Pre-School Setting – In collaboration with Dept of Psychology of Education, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • Outcome of traumatic brain injury in children at Pelonomi hospital, Dr Lincoln (LJ) Solomon
  • Prognosis and outcome of patients with solid tumours in the Paediatric Oncology patients at the Bloemfontein Hospital Complex, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Prognosis and outcome of children with brain tumours, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Outcome of central lines inserted in paediatric oncology patients in the Bloemfontein Hospital Complex, Prof David (DK) Stones 
  • Outcome of patients with lymphoma, Prof David (DK) Stones 
  • Outcome of solid tumours in the paediatric oncology patients seen at the Bloemfontein Hospital Complex, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Retrospective study of the patient profile and outcome of patients admitted to the paediatric care unit of the Academic Hospital Complex, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) and cancer in children, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • EISAI (Quintiles) Etovs Nr 71/08 – Randomized, double-blind study, placebo controlled study of efficacy and safety of Donepezil Hydrochloride in pre-adolescent and adolescent children with attention impairment following cancer treatment, Prof David (DK) Stones, Me Yolande (Y) Goosen
  • A retrospective study and ongoing study of patients with Fanconi Anaemia seen by the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health since the early 1980's, Dr David (DJ) Griessel
  • SIPPET (Survey in Inhibitors in Plasma-Product Exposed Toddlers) – Inhibitor development in previously untreated or patients minimally blood component – treated on patients when exposed to plasma derived Von Willebrandt Factor containing Factor VIII (VWF.FVII) concentrates and to recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) concentrates: An independent, international, multicentre, prospective, controlled, randomized, open label, clinical trial, Prof David (DK) Stones
  • Use of oxygen non-invasively in children, Dr Ute (U) Hallbauer
  • Pertussis in Bloemfontein 2008/2009, Dr Ute (U) Hallbauer
  • Ethionamide induced hyperthyroidism in children, Dr Ute (U) Hallbauer
  • Chronic supportive otitits media in children in the Free State: Bacteriology and contributing factors, Dr Ute (U) Hallbauer
  • Evaluation of oxygen to paediatric patients in Public Sector Hospitals in the Free State, Dr Ute (U) Hallbauer (Student)
  • Plasing van nasogastriese buise en umbilikale lyne. Prof Beyers (BB) Hoek (Student)
  • “Understanding non-attendance” at Paediatric Outpatient Department, Pelonomi Hospital, Dr Annalie (AE) van der Vyver (Student)
  • The quality of language stimulation in Pre-school  facilities, Dr David (DJ)Griessel (Student)
  • Cytomegalovirus pneumonia co-infection with pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in HIV exposed infants admitted with suspected pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, Dr Alex (AO) Ogugua (Kappos)
  • Eosinofiele in sepsis, Dr Bernice (B) Powell (Hoek)
  • Temperatuur van kraam tot in eenheid, Dr Carrie-Leigh (C) Greig (Hoek)
  • A 12-month comparison between growth-, immunological- and virological parameters in the HIV infected child, started on ARV’s at a Paediatric ARV site at Kimberley Provincial Hospital, Northern Cape Province, Dr Liesl (L) du Plessis.
PUBLICATIONS

Division Paediatric Cardiology

Publications 2009
  1. Use of a microcatheter in a telescopic system to reach difficult targets in complex congenital heart disease. SC Brown, D Boshoff,  B Eyskens, L Mertens, M Gewillig. Cath Cardiovasc Interven 2009;73:676-81
     
  2. Hybrid approach as bridge to biventricular repair in an infant with borderline hypoplastic left ventricle. SC Brown, D Boshoff, B Eyskens, M Gewillig. Eur J Cardiothorac Sur 2009;35:1080-82.
     
  3. Coronary compression caused by stenting a right pulmonary artery conduit. M Gewillig, SC Brown. Cath Cardiovasc Interven 2009;74.144-147.
     
  4. Transapical left ventricular access for difficult to reach interventional targets in the left heart. Brown SC*, Boshoff DE, Rega F, Eyskens B, Budts W,M, Heidbüchel H, Meyns BMD, Gewillig MMD. Cath Cardiovasc Interven 2009;74:137-42.
     
  5. Premature fetal closure of the arterial duct clinical presentations and outcome. M Gewillig, SC Brown, L De Catte, A Debeer, B Eyskens,V Cossey, Van Schoubroeck, C Van Hole, R Devlieger. Eur heart J 2009;30:1530-36.
     
  6. Perforation of the Aortic sinus after closure of atrial septal defects with the Atriasept occluder. Brown S, Gewillig M. Cath Cardiovasc Interven 2009;74:298-301.
     
  7. The burden of cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Hewitson J, Brown S, Hugo-Hamman C, Zulhke L, Hoosen E, Harrisberg J.  SA Heart ;2009;6:209 (correspondence)
     
  8. Audit of Paediatric cardiac services in South Africa. EGM Hoosen, AM Cilliers, CT Hugo-Hamman, SC Brown, JR Harrisberg, F Takawira, K Govendrageloo, J Lawrenson, J Hewitson. SA Heart 2010;7:4-9.

 


FACULTY CONTACT

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F: +27 86 579 5154

E: StudentAdminFHS@ufs.ac.za

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