International Maternal and Perinatal Health

Research Leaders: Professor Caroline Crowther, Professor Jodie Dodd, Ms Philippa Middleton

The International Maternal and Perinatal Health Division aims to expand its wide collaborative research links within SouthEast Asia and internationally to facilitate maternal and perinatal research, support and education.

Sea-Orchid: South East Asia - Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing Countries

SEA-ORCHID is an evidence-based care capacity building collaborative project aimed at optimising reproductive health outcomes in South-East Asia. It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and NHMRC.

During 2009 ARCH has actively promoted the results of the project at national and international forums and through publications.

Current and ongoing initiatives

Professor Caroline Crowther was appointed to the advisory board of the Global Health Project- near miss maternal mortality, WHO, Geneva.

Ms Philippa Middleton and Associate Professor Vicki Flenady have been working with the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA) to synthesise and publish evidence about the epidemiology of stillbirth, interventions to prevent stillbirth and implementation research gaps.

Professor Jodie Dodd has worked towards establishing an international network of maternal fetal medicine specialists willing to collaborate in priority research questions (MCA Doppler Study).

The International Maternal and Perinatal Health Division's key research strategies are benefiting women and babies worldwide by continuing to:

• Collaborate in international multicentre randomised trials coordinated by other researchers of relevance to women and babies in Australia
• Work towards establishing an international network of maternal fetal medicine specialists willing to collaborate in priority research questions
• Contribute to international medical education
• Lead, and collaborate in, international individual patient data analysis projects
• Provide support to the SEA-ORCHID project and similar initiatives
• Encourage and support new maternal and perinatal research projects within South East Asia
• Provide advice to the World Health Organization (WHO) projects on maternal and fetal health
• Work with the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA) to synthesise and publish evidence about the epidemiology of stillbirth, interventions to prevent stillbirth and implementation research gaps
• Support development of the IMPAC (Integrated Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth) guidelines - "Family and Community Health: Making Pregnancy Safer", WHO, Geneva (Dr Matthews Mathai).