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18 May 2025 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons
Research room
Prof Corinna Walsh from the UFS Department of Nutrition and Dietetics explains how the PEA POD® infant body composition analyser works. Dr Balekile Mzangwa, CEO of Universitas Academic Hospital, and Dr Grace London, Chief Director: District Health services at the Free State Department of Health, listens in.

In a significant stride toward improving maternal and child health in the Free State, the Universitas Academic Hospital, in collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), has launched an innovative Research Room which houses the PEA POD® infant body composition analyser and the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) machine used to assess body composition and bone mineral density.

The initiative, which marks a new era in neonatal care and research, aims to integrate cutting-edge technology into routine clinical care. The PEA POD®, a non-invasive device that uses air displacement plethysmography, allows for precise measurement of fat and fat-free mass in newborns – offering a more accurate assessment of growth and nutritional status than traditional methods. 

The research room is a newly renovated and dedicated space adjacent to the maternity and neonatal units, ensuring quick, safe access to the newborns in the hospital. Two full-time MSc Dietetics students have been trained to perform the PEAPOD® assessments and colleagues from Radiography will perform the DXA assessments. This work lays the foundation for an ongoing maternal and infant body composition database –  a valuable resource for research, clinical care, and policy guidance.

Aligned with national health priorities

According to Prof Corinna Walsh from the UFS Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, this initiative is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration across Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiography, Nutrition and Dietetics, to mention just a few of the collaborators. They are optimistic about the dual impact of this project as it advances academic and clinical research in early-life nutrition and growth as well as enhancing patient care at Universitas Hospital – bringing measurable benefits to mothers and their babies, she said. 

“This initiative is well aligned with national health priorities. According to the South African Early Childhood Review 2024, malnutrition in all its forms remains a significant challenge with short- and long-term consequences for mothers and their babies, especially during the first 1 000 days of life, from conception to the second birthday.

“We know from global and local evidence that growth patterns established during early life have profound and lasting effects on an individual’s health, development, and well-being. Our work at the University of the Free State has focused on the nutritional status of pregnant women and the early environments to which infants are exposed, both during and after pregnancy,” said Prof Walsh. 

However, she continued, in previous studies, they faced a significant challenge: the lack of specialised equipment to accurately measure infant body composition. Traditional measures such as weight and length provide only part of the picture.

 

New possibilities in healthcare, science, and service

Dr Mzangwa said the day not only marks the unveiling of state-of-the-art technology, but the beginning of a new chapter in how they will care for and understand the youngest and most vulnerable patients. The PEA POD® and DXA, which is now housed just steps away from the maternity and neonatal wards, symbolise a shared vision between the hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS: a vision grounded in evidence-based care, cutting-edge research, and above all, compassion.

“We express our sincere appreciation to everyone who supported this initiative. We also acknowledge the dedication of all the collaborating departments – Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiography, Nutrition and Dietetics –  and thank Prof Corinna Walsh and Dr Lizzy Tabane for their leadership and insight.”

Prof Janse van Vuuren, said: “Today, we do more than open a physical space. We open the door to new possibilities in healthcare, science, and service to the people of our province. It is a shining example of what can be achieved when government and academia come together, united by a common purpose – to improve lives through knowledge, innovation, and care.”

The technologies that will be used in this facility are more than just advanced instruments, they are tools that allow medical staff to better understand the human body in its earliest and most vulnerable stages, as well as throughout the lifespan. With this understanding comes the ability to make informed decisions, to intervene earlier, and to tailor care in ways that truly meet the needs of our patients, said Prof Janse van Vuuren.

“This space is more than a research centre. It is a testament to our commitment to evidence-based care. It is a place where data meets compassion, where science serves humanity. The work that will happen here will not be confined to the walls of academia –  it has the potential to ripple outward into clinics, into hospitals, and into homes. It will shape guidelines, inform policy, and ultimately, improve outcomes for patients across our province and beyond.”


News Archive

New Rector and Chancellor inaugurated at UFS
2003-02-07

NEW RECTOR AND CHANCELLOR INAUGURATED AT UFS

 Newly inaugurated Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Prof Frederick Fourie, has recommitted the university to the service of the broader community, through the pursuit of academic excellence and contributing to building a non-racial, democratic and just South Africa.

To make this a reality Prof Fourie proposed a social contract or accord between university constituencies and the community to chart the way forward to establishing a university that can meet the challenges of a developing democracy.

Prof Fourie was speaking at his inauguration ceremony on the Bloemfontein campus, where the former Ambassador to the United States, Dr Franklin Sonn, was also inaugurated as Chancellor of the UFS.

The twin inauguration ceremony – the first in the history of the UFS - was attended by former President Nelson Mandela, Education Minister, Kader Asmal, Free State Premier Winki Direko, and the executive mayor of Mangaung, Mr Pappie Mokoena, who all endorsed the appointments as evidence of the transformation of the UFS.

According to Prof Fourie, the greatest contribution that any university could make to social and economic development in South Africa was by being an excellent university that encouraged critical inquiry, scientific knowledge as well as community service.

“So whilst we cherish and foster the continuity of the university as part of the ageold international tradition of universities, this University embraces its particular role in this country now, embraces the changes in the form and scope of its role in this crucial period of our history. We are committed to making a real difference to the new nation,” he said.

His vision for the UFS was “to be a university of excellence, equity and innovation – a leader in research, teaching, community service, adult learning, transformation, non-racialism, non-sexism, multi-culturality and multilingualism – a contributor to our country and our continent’s growth and development – a truly South African university”.

Prof Fourie said the recent incorporation of the Qwaqwa campus of the University of the North into the University of the Free State, which is the first such incorporation to take place, would contribute to broadening access for poor communities to higher education. Introducing an innovation to the inauguration ceremony, Prof Fourie and the UFS staff pledged to their commitment to excellence and justice, quality and equity. Fourie is the 13th Rector of the University of the Free State, succeeding Prof. Stef Coetzee, and Dr Sonn is the 6th Chancellor, succeeding Ms Winkie Direko, Premier of the Free State.

In his inaugural address, Dr Sonn said the significance of today’s ceremony was that the UFS - as a former institution of the Afrikaner – had chosen to walk the path of justice and not merely survival. “This university has seemingly liberated itself. It is inclusively South African.

He said the academic community must play its role of vigilance and not indifference”. Referring to the stature of former president Mandela in international affairs, Dr Sonn said: “We must bring the weight ot science and critical analysis and interpretation to bear in support of Madiba and other moral giants.”
 

 

Inauguration Speech by Prof. Frederick C.v.N. Fourie  (PDF format)

Inauguration Speech by Dr Franklin A. Sonn (PDF format)

Statement by the Minister of Education, Professor Kader Asmal (PDF format)

Speech by Prof. Viljoen (PDF format)

Speech by Executive Mayor Mokoena - Mangaung Local Municipality (PDF format)

 

 

 

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