ORIGINS unlocking secrets

by Eric Martin

After setting out in 2017 to follow 10,000 children and their families for a decade, The ORIGINS Project has started celebrating their first five-year-olds coming through the program from July last year.

And while the project hopes to continue following these children and their families into adolescence, Medical Forum caught up with ORIGINS co-director, paediatrician and director of research at Joondalup Health Campus, Professor Desiree Silva, to discuss the outcomes that have already been achieved.

“We’re finding that nature is vital for our microbiome,” Professor Silva said. “The bacteria that we engage with outside is really important and we have a great intervention study collaborating with Nature Play WA, working with children about three years of age and bringing them out into nature, so that they can develop their resilience through various activities.

Read the full article in Medical Forum online magazine

We Acknowledge
Nature Play WA acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation, as the custodians of the land where our team lives and works. We also acknowledge the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and recognise the continuing connection of Indigenous people to their land, waters, sky, culture and community. We pay our respect to all Indigenous people of this land; ancestors, elders and young ones.