Latest research to be presented at PSANZ scientific meeting in 2026

We are pleased to announce that several of our research team in the Bendigo Family Study and Canberra Family Study have had abstracts accepted to present at PSANZ 2026 in Perth.

Research will be presented on the common pregnancy complications that affect pregnant women such as morning sickness, constipation, sleep disturbance, back pain and itch. We also look at discrimination. The research to be presented has evaluated both quantitative and qualitative impacts.

Another research project has evaluated the impact of fertility treatments on how women cope in pregnancy. It particularly examined whether IVF pregnancy was linked to aspects of cyberchrondria. This condition occurs when women feel anxious and resort to excessive use of the internet. The evaluation of cyberchondria in rural women who have undergone fertility therapy is a world first presentation and particularly relevant to Australian rural women who face enormous barriers of distance to care.

Another research study has evaluated the impact of the changes in national screening for syphilis in pregnancy to determine if coverage has been enhanced and identify who might still be missed from screening.

Our final presentation has considered whether we can enhance breast feeding in women with diabetes in pregnancy by evaluating the benefit of enhanced midwifery lead breastfeeding services. 

Congratulations to Madeleine Carmen, Wendy Hodge, Emma Wilson and Coe Bolong.

I would also like to congratulate Kyra Murray, one of my Masters students, for having 2 abstracts accepted. Kyra is researching the impact of congenital uterine anomalies on women's health.

We look forward to sharing our results next year.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Professor Julie Quinlivan
Chief Investigator.