About the Study and FAQs for Parents

Watch Me Grow Stages and FAQs for Parents

Stage 1

One aim of this project is to understand what makes it easy or difficult for families to get regular, recommended developmental checks done for their children. We have interviewed parents of infants born in South Western Sydney between October 2010 and August 2013 and a variety of health professionals. We also asked parents and health professionals what they think makes it difficult or less likely for babies to receive regular, recommended developmental checks. This project provides the opportunity for health professionals to offer insight into attitudes, enablers or barriers impacting on the use of health services in early childhood.

Stage 2

Over 2000 parents and their babies have been recruited to this stage of the study. We have been calling parents after their babies turn 6, 12, and 18 months to find out how their baby is developing and about their experiences in using the health service for developmental checks. the study aims to gather information regarding developmental surveillance in NSW, as recommended in the Personal Health Record (Blue Book). The findings of this research will provide the basis of recommendations for the development of an improved framework for developmental surveillance.

Stage 3

When the babies reach 18 months of age, parents are being invited to visit us for a more detailed developmental assessment for their baby.

FAQs for Parents
 

Will my information be kept private?
 

Yes. Your contact details will be stored in our password-protected database that only the research team have access to. All personal information about you and your child will be protected under current NSW privacy legislation. Any person with access to personal information is bound by a duty of confidentiality.

You and your baby have been given a unique ID code. All information collected from you are stored using this ID code instead of your name.

We will also be analysing the information/data by group factors, rather than individual information.

How will the information I provide be used?

The information collected from you will help our researchers to improve the NSW healthcare services currently offered for infants and children. Results from this study will be reported, however you and your child will not be identified in any way.

Do I have to participate?

No. Should you not wish to continue to participate in this study, your right to decline will be respected and this will have no impact on your medical care. You are also free to withdraw from the study at any time.