Who it Helps

The Children’s Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) is one of the leading paediatric nutrition research centres in Australia and receives funding from the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. Research undertaken by the CNRC informs child nutrition practices at national and international levels.

The CNRC has researched nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis, liver disease, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injuries, asthma and weight problems.

Learning more about child nutrition benefits the whole community, and helps create a world where all sick or injured kids have every possible opportunity to regain good health.

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This beautiful little girl has received treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital and will continue to need treatment for a long time into the future.

Zoe was born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is the most common, life-threatening, genetic condition affecting Australian children. It primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. Zoe, like every other child suffering from CF must undergo intensive daily chest physiotherapy to combat the build up of mucus in the lungs. Many sufferers with CF will also take up to 40 tablets each day to aid their digestion and must follow high-energy diets with added nutrients.

Children like Zoe have benefited from the work of the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre (part of the Royal Children’s Hospital), which helps provide nutrition programs to speed their recovery and ease their symptoms.

By participating in the fit4fun schools program, school kids can make a difference in the lives of children like brave little Zoe.

In 2005 a little boy stepped up to receive his fit4fun medal for the highest fundraiser in his school. What is amazing is that he had first hand experience of what the fundraising was for.

Ten years ago Carlton was in a kitchen accident that left him with burns to over 25% of his tiny body. This brave little boy was just 7 months old. Mum Sharyn had been cooking chips in the deep fryer when Carlton stood up on his high chair and leaned on the fryer, causing hot oil to tip over and pour down his front.

Carlton suffered extensive burns across his arms, hands, chest and right leg. He was admitted to the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Unit where he underwent surgery twice a week for six weeks, and painful dressing changes every day for months.

Now over the past 10 years Carlton has required 56 operations to cut his scarred skin and make room for him to grow: a process that will continue until his adult life.

While Carlton was lucky to survive, the aesthetic results of his injury and the healing process would have been vastly different had he received the advanced burns therapies developed by the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Research Group recently.

Internationally recognised, the Burns Research Group have been working on the ‘Scar Wars’ research project. The Group studied a unique foetal animal model and discovered what they believe to be the ‘ideal protein’ to help skin heal with minimal scarring. Although well known for over 30 years, the protein Fetuin was not recognised for its specific role in wound healing until the Burns Research Group recently discovered high-level concentrations of the protein in foetal skin.

The group has now obtained provisional patent for Fetuin, and with funding support from the RCH Foundation they are working towards human trials – applying Fetuin as a cream to minimise scarring and allow a less painful and stressful healing process for children with serious burns.

The ultimate goal of scarless healing, giving young burns sufferers the chance of a more normal childhood, with less operations and less distressing therapies, is just around the corner.

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"The hardest thing is trying to explain to people what is wrong with Holly and Chelsea. They don’t have ‘special needs’ as such. They are just like all other kids...but they happen to be living with cystic fibrosis. There is no specific medication I can give them that will make it all better."

Rebecca Skelly, Holly & Chelsea’s mum

Meet Holly. Adventurous and risk-taking, Holly loves to busy herself with many weird and wonderful play activities. Meet her sister Chelsea. A very quiet, placid little girl, Chelsea is happy to sit back and watch her sister in action. These gorgeous 5 year old twin sisters couldn’t be more different…but they are wonderful friends, and together they share their battle with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The most common life-threatening condition affecting children at birth, cystic fibrosis attacks the body’s ‘epithelial’ cells, which causes problems with the balance of salt and water in a child’s body. The body responds by making thick sticky mucus that blocks passageways to many of the body’s organs, especially the lungs and pancreas, leading to breathing and digestive problems…not to mention serious infections.

It was quite a shock to Rebecca when her two girls were diagnosed with CF – she had no idea what the condition was or how it would affect her newborn babies. She was directed straight to the Royal Children’s Hospital where Dr Claire Wainwright, RCHF respiratory specialist explained all about CF and how to best care for Holly and Chelsea.

These two little girls need chest physiotherapy every day at home, to clear the mucus on their lungs, keeping them strong and healthy and helping them breathe.

But the most difficult part for mum Rebecca was implementing their special diet. Cystic fibrosis causes thick mucus to block the path between the pancreas and the intestines, thus they have trouble getting important nutrients like vitamins and fat from food. To stay healthy and help fight infection the correct diet is essential for Holly and Chelsea.

Thanks to the work of the Children’s Nutrition Research Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital, the lives of many young cystic fibrosis sufferers just like these two little girls, have been extended, in some cases by many precious years.