News
Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) focusing on health equity
Characterised by its growth corridors and very high birth numbers, WPHU is home to many families with young children, from diverse cultural backgrounds. To support our population, WPHU has taken the evidence based INFANT program and in collaboration with Deakin...
Babies’ Movement and Milestones
Early childhood interventions that target infant movement behaviours can have a positive impact on the physical, social, and emotional health and development of children. The Early Movers project, led by Valerie Carson and colleagues, found that not all playtime...
A nutritious and active start to life: Evaluation of the INFANT intervention – The policy practice cycle
Presenter: Professor Kylie Hesketh This seminar was held on 21st February 2022 The aim of this seminar is to provide insight into the continued benefits INFANT has on children from birth to five years of age. The main focus is the evaluation of INFANT to date and...
INFANT supports the Victorian Government’s five-year action plan ‘Healthy kids, healthy futures’
Support for families and children could look very different within five years, thanks to the Victorian Government’s new five-year action plan, in which INFANT is included as a priority action. The five-year action plan ‘Healthy kids, healthy futures’ aims to support...
Download the new My Baby Now app today!
New parents have told us how they often feel overwhelmed with so much conflicting information - it’s not easy to sort fact from fiction! The My Baby Now app offers you trustworthy and up-to-date information about feeding and active play with your baby. My Baby Now is...
The My Baby Now app – free for parents and caregivers
As health professionals, you know that parents often feel overwhelmed with so much conflicting information and it can hard for them to know how to sort fact from fiction! The My Baby Now app provides parents with a contemporary way of accessing credible, trustworthy...
INFANT implementation success across Victorian LGAs
The successful implementation of INFANT continues to grow across Victoria. Health professionals from across Victoria are continually engaging in the INFANT training course, enhancing their skills and readiness to facilitate the INFANT program within their LGA. As each...
Expert-led training to support INFANT implementation underway across Victoria
INfant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition (INFANT) implementation training is successfully underway – to date over 250 Victorian health professionals and staff have completed training. This year INFANT is continuing to offer implementation training to assist health...
INFANT child health benefits extend to five years of age, new research finds
Researchers have examined the long-term outcomes of the INfant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition (INFANT), within Deakin’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), on children’s health behaviours. Positive health behaviours established during infancy can be maintained up to school age, says Deakin University child health expert, Professor Kylie Hesketh.
INFANT facilitator training opens to all Victorian MCHNs
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is providing funding to the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University to enhance implementation of INFANT across Victoria in 2021. Deakin University’s IPAN has developed the...
Featured Recipe: Rainbow Chips
Eat the rainbow with this colourful rainbow chip recipe! These chips are perfect snack or side dish for little ones as they’re soft, easy to hold and packed full of flavour. We recommend cutting them into thick sticks so that they can be introduced via baby-led...
Featured Recipe: Bircher Muesli
We’ve made it to the final month of summer and what better way to enjoy the warm weather than with a simple, chilled breakfast. Bircher muesli is a perfect breakfast for you and your little ones as it contains oats which are great for maintaining energy levels...
Featured Recipe: Fish Patties
What better way to introduce your baby to different textures than with soft and crispy fish patties. These patties are great for baby-led weaning as they’re perfect texture for babies to grab and pop into their mouths by themselves. We love these patties as they’re...
An approach to encourage free movement by limiting sedentary behaviour
Sedentary behaviour is a concept you may have heard about, it means any activity that you do either sitting or lying down (with the exception of sleeping). Even if you are physically active, there are health benefits to breaking up the time we spend sitting down,...
Tummy time tips: An approach to supporting your baby’s development
[Note: Ensure tummy time is only practiced under supervision and when baby is awake. Babies should never be placed on their tummy to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).] Tummy time is the time your baby spends on their tummy while awake....
Featured Recipe: Lentil Dhal
Winter is nearing an end but we’re still feeling the chill. Warm up your winter with this nourishing Lentil Dhal. This recipe is great for parents of baby’s that are starting their journey with solid food and experimenting with different textures. Try playing around...
Featured Recipe: Pear Muffins
We’re always on the hunt for recipes that are both nutritious and delicious, so we’re excited to share this simple recipe for Pear Muffins. This recipe is a great way to turn those excess or overripe pears sitting in your fruit bowl into a satisfying afternoon snack....
Featured Recipe: Spaghetti Bolognese
Winter is well and truly here, and we know everyone is starting to feel the chill. Regardless of whether you embrace the cold or are counting down the days until Spring, Winter is the perfect time to get cosy and focus on nourishing yourself and your family. Spaghetti...
Featured Recipe: Veggie Omelette
Looking for ways to include more vegetables into your baby’s diet? Try adding veggies into every meal – they’re versatile and can even be incorporated into breakfast! Remember, it’s all about consistency. So, the more you include veggies into each of your baby’s...
A mindful approach to screen time with your baby
We’re fortunate to have access to endless support, education, and entertainment at the touch of a button – even when we’re on the go. As technology advances, however, we’re starting to see growing rates of screen use and we still don’t fully understand the impact of...
In Spotlight: Kathy McConell
As the INFANT State-wide Implementation Coordinator, a role I job share with Anthea Gregoriou, we work to scale up INFANT across Victoria, that is offering INFANT to all 79 LGAs. We support those interested in implementing INFANT working closely on how best to set up...
In Spotlight: Sonya Stanley
I am the Strategy Coordinator for INFANT, and part of the implementation team that works closely with the research team. My background is a Community Dietitian and I’ve worked in population health in multiple areas across Australia, focusing on ways to make it easier...
In Spotlight: Dr Sarah Marshall
Meet Dr Sarah Marshall, a researcher with the INFANT team. Sarah was previously working with INFANT team as Research Project Manager from 2019-2022, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow from 2021-2022. While working with INFANT, Sarah was undertaking her PhD with the...
In Spotlight: Dr Meg Adam
Meet Dr Meg Adam, the most recent addition to the INFANT team as Research Project Manager. Megs professional career encompasses a journey that has addressed the social determinants of health, food policy, food security and preventive health from both a policy and...
In Spotlight: Dr Kidane Gebremariam
I’m an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) and a member of the INFANT team, specifically, working on the My Baby Now App. I will work on adapting the app to better engage Dads in supporting their...
In Spotlight: Fiona Mitchell
I am a Mununjali Bundjalung woman from southeast Queensland, an Associate Research Fellow with Deakin Rural Health and a PhD student with Deakin University.. My PhD will focus on ‘Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Play from the Start of Life for Victorian Aboriginal...
In Spotlight: Dr Victoria Brown
Email: victoria.brown@deakin.edu.au LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/vicki-brown-36773786 I am an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow of Deakin Health Economics (DHE) within the Institute for Health Transformation at Deakin University. Deakin Health...
In Spotlight: Professor Liliana Orellana
Professor Liliana Orellana |l.orellana@deakin.edu.au I am a Professor of Biostatistics and Director of the Deakin Biostatistics Unit. The Biostatistics unit is a platform that provides open-access consulting and collaborative support to researchers and PhD students in...
In Spotlight: Professor Elizabeth Denney-Wilson
I am a Professor of Nursing at Sydney University and Sydney Local Health District. I co-developed the My Baby Now app and am one of the leaders of the Infant Feeding, Active play and NuTrition (INFANT) effectiveness trial. In my role with the health district, I also work closely with Child and Family Health Nurses – so I know a lot about how they work and the complexities of providing care to families.
In Spotlight: Dr Jennifer Browne
jennifer.browne@deakin.edu.au My research focuses on health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the ways in which food and nutrition policies and programs are able to be effective and acceptable for Aboriginal people in Victoria. At INFANT,...