Mothers as First Teachers: Exploring the Features of Motherchild Interactions That Support Young Aboriginal Children’s Multilingual Learning at Playgroup

For many Indigenous children living in remote communities, the prerequisites to achieving strong language and learning outcomes include the maintenance of their first languages and progress in learning English as an additional language. This paper reports on data from a Linkage study conducted with families at two Families as First Teachers (FaFT) playgroups in two remote Northern Territory communities. The data highlight the ways parents and carers encouraged very young children to engage in home languages as a foundation on which to develop skills in English during play and book reading activities. Transcripts of mother-child book reading and play sessions and reflections of FaFT Family Liaison Officers are examined to explore the language interactions and the strategies used by mothers to support children’s multilingual learning. The data highlight the importance of early childhood teaching and learning that honours children’s linguistic and cultural resources and prioritises families’ aspirations for children’s multilingual language learning

An Abecedarian Approach with Aboriginal Families and Their Young Children in Australia: Playgroup Participation and Developmental Outcomes

New approaches to support the early learning for young Indigenous children are important to government policies across Australia. This study explores whether the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) intervention, with strong cultural adaptations, can boost young Aboriginal children's early language and learning skills, prior to preschool. Participants in this study were Aboriginal children attending playgroups, Families as First Teachers, in school settings in two remote communities in the Northern Territory. Implementation data on two components (Conversational Reading and LearningGames) of the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) intervention are reported, and the level of exposure the children had to the programme during the study period is analysed. Child outcomes were assessed on the Brigance Early Childhood Screen II for 149 children aged from 24 to 56 months. Children's language and early learning were associated with intervention dosage. Higher exposure to Conversational Reading and LearningGames predicted stronger language and overall development for young children. This study demonstrates that this intervention can be delivered effectively in playgroups in remote settings and is a meaningful and robust strategy to support early childhood learning, with potential to improve educational outcomes for young Aboriginal children in remote communities.De nouvelles approches pour soutenir l’apprentissage en bas âge chez les jeunes enfants indigènes sont importantes pour les politiques gouvernementales à travers l’Australie. Cette étude examine si l’intervention Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a), avec de fortes adaptations culturelles, peut stimuler le langage et les aptitudes cognitives de jeunes enfants aborigènes, avant le préscolaire. Les enfants aborigènes participant à cette étude fréquentaient des groupes de jeu ‘Families as First Teachers’ (FaFT) (Les familles, premiers éducateurs) en contextes scolaires de deux communautés éloignées du Territoire du Nord. Les données de mise en œuvre de deux composantes (lecture conversationnelle et jeux d’apprentissage) de l’intervention Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) sont présentées, avec l’analyse du niveau d’exposition des enfants au programme durant la période d’étude. Les résultats des enfants ont été évalués au moyen du test de dépistage Brigance Early Childhood Screen II chez 149 enfants de 24 à 56 mois. Les résultats des enfants en langage et cognition sont associés au niveau d’exposition à l’intervention. Une exposition plus élevée à la lecture conversationnelle et aux jeux d’apprentissage prédit un développement langagier et global plus fort chez les enfants. Cette étude démontre que cette intervention peut être mise en place efficacement auprès de groupes de jeu de zones éloignées. Il s’agit d’une stratégie significative et robuste pour soutenir l’apprentissage en petite enfance, avec le potentiel pour améliorer la réussite éducative des enfants de communautés éloignées

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ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the prevalence and diagnosis rates of Klinefelter syndrome (KS) in Victoria, Australia, and compare these to previous international findings. Design, setting and participants: A Victorian population-based descriptive study of all cytogenetic examinations resulting in a diagnosis of KS, including prenatal diagnoses from 1986 to 2006 and postnatal diagnoses from 1991 to 2006. Main outcome measures: Birth prevalence and diagnosis rates of KS. Results: The birth prevalence of KS in Victoria is estimated to be 223 per 100 000 males (95% CI,, with about 50% of cases remaining undiagnosed. Conclusions: KS may be occurring more frequently than has been reported previously, yet many cases remain undiagnosed. Our results highlight the need for increased MJA 2011; 194: 24-28 awareness leading to timely detection

The Anti-Inflammatory Agent N-Acetyl Cysteine Exacerbates Endotoxin-Induced Hypoxemia and Hypotension and Induces Polycythemia in the Ovine Fetus

Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) delivered acutely to the ovine fetus induces cerebral white matter injury and brain inflammation. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is potentially neuroprotective as it blocks the production of inflammatory cytokines and increases glutathione levels; however, it is unknown whether NAC affects the physiological status of the fetus already exposed to an inflammatory environment. Objectives: Our objective was to determine whether NAC influences the physiological effects of LPS exposure in the ovine fetus. Methods: Catheterized fetal sheep underwent one of four treatments (saline, n = 6; LPS, n = 6; LPS + NAC, n = 6; NAC, n = 3) on 5 consecutive days from 95 days of gestation (term similar to 147 days). Fetal arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded and blood samples collected. Results: LPS administration resulted in fetal hypoxemia and hypotension; simultaneous treatment with NAC exacerbated these effects and induced polycythemia. NAC treatment alone had no effect on the fetus. Conclusion: In the presence of LPS, NAC compromises fetal physiological status, suggesting that it may not be a suitable antenatal treatment for a fetus with evidence of inflammation. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base