WOMBAT Newsletter
    August 2007


Welcome to the August issue of WOMBAT News. This monthly update will be a regular source of important information on WOMBAT workshops, events and other news.

In this issue:

    • WOMBAT MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS
    • OTHER MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS
    • FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
    • TRIAL UPDATES
    • TIPS ON TRIALS
    • FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

WOMBAT MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS:

Further information available on the WOMBAT website Conferences page

November 2007, Brisbane
Mater Research Support Centre and Centre for Clinical Studies, Mater Health Services Brisbane in collaboration with WOMBAT: Evidence Based Health Care & Statistics for Clinical Research: an Introductory Course
Tentative date: November 23 & 24: Evidence Based Health Care

ADVANCE NOTICE
April 2008, Gold Coast
WOMBAT meeting; IMPACT Network meeting; Perinatal Mortality meeting
Education Centre, Gold Coast Hospital
Nerang Street, Southport
April 18 – 20
OTHER MEETINGS / WORKSHOPS:

September 2007, New Zealand
Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) Annual Scientific Meeting
Christchurch Convention Centre
September 7-8
The Australasian Diabetes Society is a professional body established to advance clinical and scientific knowledge of diabetes in pregnancy, to encourage dissemination of this knowledge and to foster collaboration with other regional societies interested in diabetes in pregnancy. It is also involved in the development of health policy regarding diabetes in pregnancy at the National and State levels.
www.adips.org

September 2007, Japan
XXth Asian and Oceanic Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOCOG2007)
"New Tide in Obstetrics and Gynecology"
Tokyo
September 21-25
www.ics-inc.co.jp/aocog2007/

September 2007, Sydney
International Clinical Trials Symposium
September 23 - 26
Hosted by the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre (University of Sydney)
Will appeal to many, including clinical triallists, clinical researchers, biostatisticians, academics, pharmaceutical professionals, data managers, medical specialists, clinical educators, consumer advocates, and research nurses.

The Symposium will provide a forum for exchanging ideas on practical aspects of undertaking trials research, translating trial results into best practice and presenting research.

Go to the symposium site for updates: www.clinicaltrials2007.com
Or for further details email: info@clinicaltrials2007.com


September 2007, Canberra
Australian College of Midwives 15th biennial conference
September 25 - 28
Our program is a mixture of exciting international, national and local speakers with a large smattering of hands-on workshops, all designed to make us better midwives for the women and babies with whom we work. We also have a strong theme of the arts to heighten our senses and increase our understandings and a fabulous social program to pamper our always-busy, always-giving selves.
For programme information and registration details: http://www.congresswest.com.au/midwives2007/index.html

October 2007, London
ISA 2007: 3rd Annual conference of the International Stillbirth Alliance
October 1-4
For programme information and registration details: http://www.isa2007.org/

October 2007, Gold Coast
RANZCOG
October 2-5
For programme information and registration details: www.ranzcog2007asm.com.au

October 2007, Melbourne
National Research Ethics Conference
October 16-18
The Conference seeks to promote debate about the ethical dimensions of human research. Good research is ethical in design as well as in conduct.

This conference provides an additional opportunity to provide information about the new National Statement. The National Ethics Application Form is being revised to take account of the new National Statement, and will be available before the end of 2007.

For programme information and registration details: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/ethics/conference.htm

November 2007, Perth
5th International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health & Disease (DOHAD)
November 6 - 10
DOHaD is emerging as one of the most significant forms of international research in determining the prevention and treatment of many child and adult illnesses. This year, there will be a strong emphasis on the political and economic implications for emerging nations.

By attending, you will gain access to some of the highest quality research currently in progress.

For further information and registration details go to http://www.congresswest.com.au/dohad/


November 2007, Adelaide
Women's Hospitals Australasia & Children's Hospitals Australasia
November 12 – 16
'Responding with Style to Changes in Lifestyle'
Women's Hospitals Australasia & Children's Hospitals Australasia hold a joint conference each year at a different location in Australia and New Zealand. We welcome attendance from health professionals, health service managers, academics and others involved or interested in the health and welfare of women, children and babies.

For further programme information and registration details:
http://www.wcha.asn.au/index.cfm/spid/1_27.cfm 

November 2007, Sydney
Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (SOMANZ)
Clinical Refresher and Annual Scientific Meeting, Manly Pacific, Sydney
November 16-18
For further programme information and registration details: www.somanz.org

Festschrift for Professor David Henderson-Smart OAM, University of Sydney
November 22
Symposium 9am – 5pm
Dinner 7 pm
Email: atupai@perinatal.usyd.edu.au

FUTURE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
2008
April, Gold Coast

Australian College Neonatal Nurses Association Inc Annual Conference
Sunday 20th April
For further details go to ACNN website: www.acnn.org.au
Or download preliminary announcement


Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Congress
Celebrating 25 years: Reflections and Projections
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Queensland, Australia
20 – 23 April 2008
In commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Australian Perinatal Society and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, a silver anniversary exhibition, plenary session and poster session with contributions from all industry will be included at this years’ Congress.

For further programme information and registration details: http://www.psanz.org.au/ 
TRIAL UPDATES:
PPROMT Trial:

Firstly, we would like to welcome to the PPROMT Team, Sally Woodhead, Research Midwife, who will take over the data management for the PPROMT Trial. We are very pleased to have Sally on board, and look forward to her enthusiastic contribution to the trial.

We are now at 259 recruits at the end of July. Many sites this month have had their first recruit and we are pleased to welcome some new international collaborators who have recruited this month, including 1st Gynecology Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and some new sites in Australia coming on board, including Monash Medical Centre and Sutherland Hospital.

We congratulate all the sites who have worked hard this month and would like to outline some important things to remember when recruiting to the PPROMT Trial:

1. Participants are eligible even if the baby is in breech position - we are looking at timing of birth not mode of delivery.

2. Please remember to give women the blue questionnaire at randomisation - so we can assess satisfaction with care pre and post.

3. Encourage all the junior doctors to get involved - it will be good experience for them. You're doing them a favour!!

We are aiming for 30-40 active sites who will be recruiting between 40-50 participants per month.

Whatever supports you need, just give us a call on (02) 9926 6541, or drop us an email at ppromt@med.usyd.edu.au


PROGRESS Trial:

The inclusion and exclusion criteria for PROGRESS have been modified. The full version of the PROGRESS information sheet is available for download here.

Inclusion Criteria
Women

  • who are currently 18 to 23+6 weeks pregnant with a live singleton or twins confirmed at trial entry
  • who have a history of prior preterm birth at at less than 37 weeks gestation and greater than 20 weeks gestation (either vaginal birth or caesarean birth) in the previous pregnancy
  • where the onset of labour occurred spontaneously, or in association with cervical incompetence, or following preterm prelabour ruptured membranes

Also eligible are women who:

  • receive progesterone therapy for early pregnancy support (prior to 16 weeks gestation) in the current pregnancy
  • have one or more miscarriages between previous spontaneous preterm birth and the current pregnancy


Exclusion Criteria
Women with the following will not be eligible for participation:

  • Women whose immediately preceding preterm birth at less than 37 weeks gestation was associated with:
    • Placental abruption or placenta praevia
    • Multiple pregnancy
    • Iatrogenic decision for early birth (for example related to fetal distress, preeclampsia, eclampsia)

     

  • Women whose current pregnancy is associated with:
    • Active vaginal bleeding requiring hospital admission after 17+6 weeks of gestation
    • Current preterm prelabour ruptured membranes diagnosed prior to trial entry
    • Active labour (defined as the presence of uterine activity and cervical dilatation greater than 3cm)
    • Triplet or higher order multiple pregnancy
    • Known lethal fetal anomaly
    • Fetal demise
    • Progesterone treatment during the current pregnancy after 16 weeks gestation
    • Any contraindication to continuation of the pregnancy (eg. chorioamnionitis requiring delivery)
    • Any contraindication to progesterone therapy (known active liver disease; active or hormone-related thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorder; known or suspected breast or genital malignancy).

The use of progesterone in the following conditions is not contraindicated but the manufacturers recommend use with monitoring. These include serious depression and medical conditions that may be aggravated by fluid retention (asthma, epilepsy, migraine, known cardiac dysfunction, known renal dysfunction).
 

TIPS ON TRIALS:

REGISTRATION OF CLINICAL TRIALS

Which trials require registration prior to commencement?
According to the Australian Clinical Trials Registry (ACTR) “all clinical trials involving Australian investigators or participants, in all areas of health and testing all forms of interventions should be registered” (ACTR, n.d.).

Any research that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention and comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome should be registered prior to commencement. Medical interventions include any intervention used to modify a health outcome and include drugs, surgical procedures, devices, behavioural treatments, etc.

ICMJE states that among the trials that meet the above definition, some may be clearly excluded or included.

Download a copy of the full document
 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

NHMRC Program Grants – Second Round 2007
The closing date for submission of applications for NHMRC Program Grants has traditionally been February, with funding to commence in January the following year. This timing impinges both on applicants and NHMRC Grant Review Panels as applicants are also required to submit Project Grant applications in the event of the Program application being unsuccessful.

Teams wishing to apply for grants to begin on 1 January 2009, may apply either: (a) later this year (closed 17 August 2007 in Research Branch), for a decision in late 2007 (this will avoid successful applicants needing to write a back up project grant application in early 2008); or (b) by the usual time (8 February 2008).

Teams wishing to apply for Program Grants beginning on 1 January 2010 will need to apply in the second half of 2008.

All documentation relating to the second round of applications which close on 24 August 2007, including the Funding Policy, Application Form and the Guide for Applicants, will be available on the NHMRC website by late June 2007.

Funding will be announced in December for grants commencing in January the year after; e.g. for funding commencing in January 2009, applicants will be advised in December 2007.
 

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information on WOMBAT initiatives, please contact the WOMBAT Collaboration national co-ordinator: p.middleton@WOMBATcollaboration.net

The WOMBAT Collaboration is funded through a NHMRC enabling grant