Hopeful progress for children with neurofibromatosis

Laboratory researchers based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead have made encouraging progress toward future treatments for children and families affected by neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and type 2 (NF2). These genetic conditions can cause tumours to form in the nervous system, and there is a strong need for more effective therapies. 

Using a CRISPR gene editing approach, the researchers were able to repair the harmful gene mutations or changes in the NF1 and NF2 genes. Initially tested using cells engineered to possess patient gene mutations, they are now combining these repair systems with advanced delivery tools. These gene editing approaches are being applied to laboratory models of disease, to show that therapies reach the correct tissues safely and effectively.

Although this work is still in the early, preclinical stage, the progress made is an important step toward future studies, laying the groundwork for gene-based treatments that could one day improve the lives of children and families receiving care in hospital.

This work was conducted by the Bioengineering and Molecular Medicine group at Kids Research.

 

Linking post‑concussion insomnia to delayed recovery in young people

Clinician researchers at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead have shown that children and adolescents who develop clinical insomnia after a concussion tend to experience more severe symptoms and take longer to recover. The findings highlight sleep disturbance as an important but often overlooked factor influencing concussion healing in young people.

The study, published in Paediatric Neurology, followed children and adolescents after concussion to track their sleep patterns and recovery outcomes. It found that insomnia is not only prevalent but is strongly associated with heightened symptom burden, including headaches, fatigue, and concentration difficulties. Young people with insomnia were also more likely to have a delayed return to school, sport, and normal daily activities. 

The research was carried out by the Kids Concussion Service, a clinical research group within the Sports Medicine Department at the Hospital. As a direct result of this work, the Kids Concussion Service now routinely screens all patients for sleep disturbances to ensure earlier support and more tailored concussion care for young people.

 

Reducing nitrous oxide leaks to protect children’s health and the environment 

New research led by the Children’s Perioperative Laboratory at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has shown that significant and preventable nitrous oxide leakage can occur through hospital gas systems, contributing to both environmental harm and unnecessary occupational exposure. 

analysed real‑time gas flow data using a customised high‑precision flowmeter to identify substantial and sustained nitrous oxide loss across the hospital’s pipework. The new data confirmed ongoing leak patterns that persistent despite best practice maintenance and supported similar findings in hospitals overseas in the United Kingdom and United States. 

As a result, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has fully transitioned off piped nitrous oxide and to cylinder based nitrous oxide supply, becoming the first children’s hospital in Australia to do so.

The custom flowmeter system, originally developed and tested at Westmead, is now being used at other Australian hospitals in NSW and South Australia helping reduce nitrous oxide emissions, improve environmental sustainability and protect staff from unnecessary exposure, ensuring the care delivered today supports a healthier planet for future generations.

 

Sharp rise in ADHD medication poisonings among children and teens

New research has found that poisoning exposures to ADHD medications are rising rapidly in Australia, with the highest rates occurring in children and teenagers.

The study reviewed over 17,000 cases involving commonly prescribed ADHD medicines such as methylphenidate and dexamphetamine over a ten‑year period and revealed that exposure rates increased by 16.5% each year. The largest increases were seen in young females and in children under the age of ten.

Most exposures were unintentional, highlighting that many incidents occurred when children accessed medication that was not securely stored. More than half of all affected patients required hospital assessment, underscoring the seriousness of these events and the increasing pressure placed on emergency and paediatric services. 

The findings were published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry and emphasise the growing importance of safe prescribing, careful dispensing and secure storage of ADHD medications within homes and schools.

This research was led by the Poisons Information Centre at Kids Research.