John M D Thompson

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at University of Auckland

Objectives To determine the prevalence of eczema among children in New Zealand. Methods Population‐based retrospective observational study utilising national pharmaceutical dispensing records for topical corticosteroids and emollients for all New Zealand children aged 0–14 years from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2019. Data are reported using...

In Māori and Pacific adults, the CREBRF rs373863828 minor (A) allele is associated with increased body mass index (BMI) but reduced incidence of type-2 and gestational diabetes mellitus. In this prospective cohort study of Māori and Pacific infants, nested within a nutritional intervention trial for pregnant women with obesity and without pregestat...

Objective To investigate associations of the Fetal Pillow® with maternal and neonatal morbidity. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Two tertiary maternity units, New Zealand. Population or Sample Full dilatation singleton, term, cephalic caesarean section, with three comparisons: at Unit A (1) before versus after introduction of the Fetal Pill...

Introduction Birth at early term (37⁺⁰–38⁺⁶ completed gestational weeks [GW] and additional days) is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes compared with waiting to ≥39 GW. Most studies report outcomes after elective cesarean section or a mix of all modes of births; it is unclear whether these adverse outcomes apply to early‐term babies born aft...

Objective We examined whether the risk of stillbirth was related to ambient air pollution in a UK population. Design Prospective case–control study. Setting Forty‐one maternity units in the UK. Population Women who had a stillbirth ≥28 weeks’ gestation (n = 238) and women with an ongoing pregnancy at the time of interview (n = 597). Methods Sec...

Objective: Increased rates of pro-inflammatory and metabolic-related disorders, plus perinatal death and other pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes (GDM), are consistently reported among women of Indian ethnicity. This study compares lipid profiles and early pregnancy biomarkers associated with metabolic dysfunction between healthy...

The maternal cardiovascular-circulatory system undergoes profound changes almost from the conception of a pregnancy until the postpartum period to support the maternal adaptions required for pregnancy and lactation. Maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis requires changes in the cardiovascular autonomic responses. Here, we present a longitudinal...

Introduction Maternal perception of fetal movements during pregnancy are reassuring; however, the perception of a reduction in movements are concerning to women and known to be associated with increased odds of late stillbirth. Prior to full term, little evidence exists to provide guidelines on how to proceed unless there is an immediate risk to th...

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) and maternal supine going‐to‐sleep position are both risk factors for late stillbirth. This study aimed to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify the effect of maternal supine position on maternal‐placental and fetoplacental blood flow, placental oxygen transfer and fetal oxygenation in FGR and healthy pregn...

Background: Approximately one in four pregnant women has induction of labor. Meta-analyses show mechanical methods of induction of labor are safe and effective, as is starting induction in an outpatient setting. However, few studies have evaluated outpatient balloon catheter compared to pharmacologic methods. Objective: To determine whether wome...

Objective: Identify independent and novel risk-factors for late-preterm (28-36 weeks) and term (≥37 weeks) stillbirth and explore development of a risk-prediction model. Design: Secondary analysis of an Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis investigating modifiable stillbirth risk-factors. Setting: An IPD database from five case-cont...

Background Presentations for decreased fetal movements comprise a significant proportion of acute antenatal assessments. Decreased fetal movements are associated with increased likelihood of adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth. Consensus-based guidelines recommend pregnant women routinely receive information about fetal movements, but p...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterised by deficits in social interactions and communication, with stereotypical and repetitive behaviours. Recent evidence suggests that maternal immune dysregulation may predispose offspring to ASD. Independent samples t-tests revealed downregulation of IL-17A concentrations in case...

Introduction and Aim The Queensland Pēpi-Pod® Program was introduced as a staged research intervention in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and Change for our Children, New Zealand in 2012-2018 to determine cultural, community and individual acceptability, safety and feasibility. This three-part program (sleep spac...

Background Safe sleep messaging varies considerably in clinical practice and guidelines within and between Australian states and territories. Risk elimination approaches which attempt to enforce idealistic expectations of where and how a baby sleeps have been demonstrated to alienate parents. Risk minimisation approaches which support ‘safer sleep’...

Objectives: We report the disease-specific survival of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated and HPV-independent vulvar squamous cell carcinomas and determine whether differences exist and are independent of stage and age at diagnosis. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study with case note and pathology slide review of 265 c...

Modifiable infant sleep and care practices are recognised as the most important factors parents and health practitioners can influence to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant mortality. Understanding caregiver awareness of, and perceptions relating to, public health messages and identifying trends in contemporary infant care practices are essent...

Background: Mortality from sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) has declined dramatically since the 'Back to Sleep' campaign. Deaths now are more prevalent in those with socioeconomic disadvantage. The investigation of SUDI frequently identifies parents that have mental health or drug, alcohol and addiction problems. Aims: To estimate the p...

We describe the development and validation of a Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) risk assessment clinical tool. An initial SUDI risk assessment algorithm was developed from an individual participant data meta-analysis of five international SIDS/SUDI case–control studies. The algorithm was translated into a clinical web tool called the Safe...

Background Impetigo is a common and contagious bacterial skin infection, affecting children worldwide, but it is particularly prevalent in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. In New Zealand, widespread prescribing of the topical antibiotic fusidic acid had led to an increase in antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus. Alternative...

Objective To examine the effects of infant sofa-sleeping, recent use by caregivers of alcohol, cannabis and/or other drugs, and bed type and pillows, on the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) in New Zealand. Study design A nationwide prospective case-control study was implemented between March 2012 and February 2015. Data were colle...

Dietary Pattern analysis is typically based on dimension reduction and summarizes the diet with a small number of scores. We assess “Joint and Individual Variance Explained” (JIVE) as a method for extracting dietary patterns from longitudinal data that highlights elements of the diet that are associated over time. The Auckland Birthweight Collabora...

Background: Approximately 100 children are currently born in New Zealand (NZ) each year with an orofacial cleft (OFC). OFC are a heterogeneous group of embryologic developmental structural defects of the facial processes which can occur as either unilateral or bilateral and involve combinations of the lip, alveolus, hard or soft palate. Children bo...

Background Late stillbirth continues to affect 3–4/1000 pregnancies in high-resource settings, with even higher rates in low-resource settings. Reduced foetal movements are frequently reported by women prior to foetal death, but there remains a poor understanding of the reasons and how to deal with this symptom clinically, particularly during the p...

Objective To assess speech outcomes at five and ten years of age in a nationwide study of children with orofacial cleft. Design Prospective study. Participants Children born with orofacial cleft and having primary surgery in New Zealand. Speech samples were available for 151 five-year-old, and 163 ten-year-old children. Main outcome measures Int...

Objective To explore pēpē [infant] sleep practices and the key motivators among selected Māori and non‐Māori māmā [mothers] in Auckland, New Zealand, in relation to the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). Methods Qualitative research underpinned by a kaupapa Māori cultural framework was undertaken. In‐depth face‐to‐face interviews o...

Aim To understand which safe sleep recommendations parents find most challenging to implement, identifying common barriers encountered; and investigate whether challenges are associated with practices employed. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 3341 Australian families with young infants who birthed a live baby during April–May 2017. Caregivers...

(Abstracted from Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2021;256:471–477) The prevention of stillbirth is an enduring problem. Identifying risk factors and developing strategies to minimize their effect can help to reduce the prevalence of stillbirth.

Introduction A ‘Sleep-On-Side When Baby’s Inside’ public health campaign was initiated in New Zealand in 2018. This was in response to evidence that maternal supine going-to-sleep position was an independent risk factor for stillbirth from 28 weeks’ gestation. We evaluated the success of the campaign on awareness and modification of late pregnancy...

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a cohort of New Zealand children followed from birth to the age of eleven. The study also aimed to assess the stability of the child data in relation to behavioural outcomes during this period. Methods Children in the Auckland Birthw...

Objective To investigate primary infant caregiver awareness of the current national public health safe sleep messages and the associations of awareness with care practices. Design and setting A cross-sectional survey in Queensland, Australia. All families with live babies birthed during April–May 2017 were eligible. Questionnaires were distributed...

Key points Maternal supine sleep position in late pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth. Maternal supine position in late pregnancy reduces maternal cardiac output and uterine blood flow. Using MRI, this study shows that compared to the left lateral position, maternal supine position in late pregnancy is associated with reduc...

Dopamine dysfunction is implicated in several disorders, including depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Research on adolescent and adult populations has linked both disorders to variation in several monoaminergic genes, but genetic association studies in children are limited. Here, we review the evidence that single nucle...

The long-term impact of a father’s involvement in offspring development is understudied. The current study investigated the relations between early paternal engagement (i.e., the amount of time fathers engaged in one-to-one activity with their child), paternal accessibility (i.e., fathers’ physical proximity to their children) and later child behav...

Objectives To describe (1) oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) for children with orofacial cleft (OFC) in New Zealand and (2) assess any differences in OHRQoL by sex, ethnicity, and cleft phenotype using the 16 item (and 8 item subset) of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) and Parent version (P-CPQ). Design and Setting Prospective c...

Objective To determine whether children with an orofacial cleft have higher levels of behavioral problems than the general population and whether this differs by cleft phenotype. Design A cohort of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) born in New Zealand from January 1, 2000. Setting Cleft clinics in New Zealand participating in a larger...

Objective: To investigate behavioural and social characteristics of women who experienced a late stillbirth compared to women with ongoing live pregnancies at similar gestation. Design: Case-control study. Setting: 41 maternity units in the United Kingdom. Population: Women who had a stillbirth ≥28 weeks' gestation (n=287) and women with an...

Background: Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) is a leading cause of preventable infant mortality and strongly associated with social adversity. While this has been noted over many decades, most previous studies have used single economic markers in social disadvantage analyses. To date there have been no previous attempts to analyze the cumu...

Objective: To determine the level of quality of life (QoL) in children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and whether this differs by cleft phenotype. Design: A cohort of children with CL/P born in New Zealand. Setting: A nationwide study of children born with CL/P and having primary surgery in New Zealand. Participants: Children with CL/P...

Objective The consumption of caffeinated drinks and soft drinks is widespread in society, including by pregnant women. Data regarding the association of caffeine intake and stillbirth are varied. We aimed to investigate the degree of consumption of caffeinated drinks or soft drinks in the last four weeks of pregnancy in women who experienced a late...

Aims/hypothesisThe CREBRF rs373863828 minor (A) allele is associated with increased BMI but reduced prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Māori and Pacific people. Given the shared aetiology of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), we tested for an association between the CREBRF rs373863828 variant and GDM.Methods We conducted a prosp...

Objective: This study evaluated association between functional outcomes in children born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and educational attainment. Design: Cleft Care UK (CCUK) was a United Kingdom (UK) wide cross-sectional study. Setting: UK Cleft Teams (data collected from all UK sites providing centralized cleft services). Pat...

Aim: To develop focused priorities to inform the revision of Australia's Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) risk reduction public health programme. Methods: A content expert consensus research activity was designed using two consensus techniques. The two-phase study employed a Delphi process (phase 1) and a Nominal Group workshop techniqu...

Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) is associated with significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to investigate gene-nutrient interactions between maternal one-carbon single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and folic acid supplement (FAS) use, and their association with SGA. Nulliparous New Zealand women with singleton pregnancy were re...

Introduction Supine positioning during late pregnancy causes dramatic compression of maternal abdominal vasculature and is a risk factor for stillbirth. The azygos vein has been shown to provide collateral circulation in this scenario. There are many well‐known anatomical differences in abdominal vasculature between the left and right sides of the...

Aim To evaluate multi-ethnic participants’ feedback from the Healthy Mums and Babies (HUMBA) trial. Methods In conjunction with the HUMBA trial, a survey of dietary educational preferences (provided by community health workers (CHWs) and supported by text messages) or routine dietary advice with probiotic or placebo capsules was conducted in a mul...

Despite being widely used, few studies have assessed the utility of the San Diego definition of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate pathologists’ application of the San Diego definition in all cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) that occurred in Queensland, Australia, between 2010 and 2014....

Background Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, and there are currently few preventive strategies. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal folic acid supplement (FAS) use pre-conception through to the second trimester, and small-for-gestational age (SGA) and birth...

Aim To examine differences in the prevalence of risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non‐Indigenous infants. Methods A retrospective cohort study of SUDI in Queensland during 2010‐2014 examined exposure to SUDI risk factors, to identify factors accounting for higher SUDI morta...

Background and objectives Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects up to one third of women during late pregnancy and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including hypertension, diabetes, impaired fetal growth, and preterm birth. However, it is unclear if SDB is associated with late stillbirth (≥28 weeks’ gestation). The aim of this stud...

Reducing sleep-related infant mortality is a national and global health priority. The leading category of post-neonatal mortality in Australia is sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). Suboptimal breastfeeding practice is associated with increased risk of infants dying suddenly and unexpectedly. Human breastmilk is universally acknowledged to b...

Dietary patterns describe the quantity, variety, or combination of different foods and beverages in a diet and the frequency of habitual consumption. Better understanding of childhood dietary patterns and antenatal influences could inform intervention strategies to prevent childhood obesity. We derived empirical dietary patterns in 1142 children (a...

Importance Despite improvements in antenatal care and increasing cesarean delivery rates, birth asphyxia leading to neonatal encephalopathy (NE) continues to contribute to neonatal death and long-term neurodevelopmental disability. Cardiotocography (CTG) has been used in labor for several decades to detect a stressed fetus so that delivery can be e...

Background: Approximately one in four pregnant women undergo an induction of labour. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness for mothers and babies of two methods of cervical ripening - inpatient care for women starting induction with vaginal prostaglandin E2 hormones, or allowing wome...

Objective: Cross-sectional data indicate that physical activity, longer sleep duration, and normal body weight are associated with better mental health in childhood. It is less clear whether these factors protect against future emotional and behavioral problems. We investigated whether physical activity, sleep duration, and body mass index (BMI) a...

Background: Globally, the incidence of sleep-related infant mortality declined dramatically following the first public health campaigns seen internationally in the 1990s to reduce the risks of sudden infant death. However, Australian Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) rates have plateaued with little change in incidence since 2004 despite t...

Introduction: Supine positioning during late pregnancy causes the gravid uterus to compress the inferior vena cava, resulting in dramatic hemodynamic changes. The maintenance of placental perfusion requires maternal circulatory and autonomic adaptations. Women with supine hypotensive syndrome (defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure of anythi...

Aim: To examine early adolescent physical activity and risk of later depressive symptoms at age 16 years in a prospective cohort study. Methods: Participants were children and parents enrolled at birth of the child. Approximately half the children enrolled in the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative Study were small for gestational age at birth (S...

Problems often arise in cases of lethal inflicted injury in infants and children in determining the chronology of events. However, on occasion it may be assumed that a parent’s statement that the child appeared normal at a particular time is correct. It is then inferred that the lethal injury occurred after this time. In a study of infants from Que...

(Abstracted from BJOG 2019;126:973–982) A high prevalence of late-term stillbirths in the United Kingdom has prompted a study to investigate whether a relationship exists between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and stillbirth. Preexisting diabetes is associated with a significant increase of 4- to 6-fold in risk of stillbirth, but the relations...

Background: Maternal reports of decreased fetal movements are associated with adverse pregnancy outcome, but there are conflicting data about perception of fetal movements in women with obesity. Aim: To compare perceived fetal movements in women with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) and women with normal BMI (<25 kg/m2). Material and m...

Importance Supine maternal position in the third trimester is associated with reduced uterine blood flow and increased risk of late stillbirth. As reduced uterine blood flow is also associated with fetal growth restriction, this study explored the association between the position in which pregnant women went to sleep and infant birth weight. Objec...

Objectives: To investigate the dental caries experience of New Zealand children born with orofacial cleft (OFC), to compare this to age-specific national population-based data and to investigate any differences by demographic characteristics, cleft type and exposure to community water fluoridation. Methods: Nationwide retrospective study of 554...

Objective: To investigate the under-identification of Indigenous∗ infants in death records and examine the impact of a multi-stage algorithm on disparities in sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI). Methods: Data on SUDI in Queensland between 2010 and 2014 were linked to birth and death registrations, health data, and child protection and co...

Background Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) receive enhanced antepartum care due to assumed higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Existing observational studies however report surprisingly modest associations between GDM on outcomes such as late stillbirth (fetal death ≥28 weeks’ gestation), provoking international debate about...

Folic acid (FA) supplementation is recommended periconceptionally for the prevention of neural tube defects. Limited data are available on the folate status of New Zealand (NZ) pregnant women and its association with FA supplementation intake. Objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between plasma folate (PF) concentrations and re...

We investigated fetal movement quality and pattern and association with late stillbirth in this multicentre case-control study. Cases (n = 164) had experienced a non-anomalous singleton late stillbirth. Controls (n = 569) were at a similar gestation with non-anomalous singleton ongoing pregnancy. Data on perceived fetal movements were collected via...

Investigation of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - edited by Marta C. Cohen June 2019

Background and objectives Encouraging awareness of fetal movements is a common strategy used to prevent stillbirths. Information provided to pregnant women about fetal movements is inconsistent perhaps due to limited knowledge about normal fetal movement patterns in healthy pregnancies. We aimed to describe maternally perceived fetal movement stren...

Abstrac Aim To compare parental reports of position found in sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) to autopsy reports of lividity, to more accurately classify infant sleep position. Methods Cases of SUDI in Queensland between 2010 and 2014 were reviewed to determine the position in which infants were reported to have been placed and found. T...

Rationale Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for infants. In addition to increasing concern about antibiotic resistance, there is a concern about the potential negative impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiota and health and development outcomes. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between early life antibiotic e...

Background: Maternal supine going-to-sleep position has been associated with increased risk of late stillbirth (≥ 28 weeks), but it is unknown if the risk differs between right and left side, and if some pregnancies are more vulnerable. Methods: Systematic searches were undertaken for an individual-level participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of c...

Background: Prioritisation of stillbirth research in high-income countries is required to address preventable stillbirth. However, concern is raised by ethics committees, maternity providers and families, when pregnant and bereaved women are approached to participate. Our aim was to 1) assess factors influencing recruitment in a multicentre case-c...

Objective: To explore the separate effects of being 'at risk' of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and screening for GDM, and of raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and clinical diagnosis of GDM, on the risk of late stillbirth. Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: Forty-one maternity units in the UK. Population: Women who had a...

Background: Maternal obesity has been implicated in the origins of childhood obesity through a suboptimal environment in-utero. Objective: We examined relationships of maternal early pregnancy body mass index (BMI), overweight/obesity, and plasma biomarkers of obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, and placental function with measures of chi...

Objectives To (1) assess nasolabial outcomes across four main cleft subgroups, (2) assess agreement using a categorical and a continuous scoring measure and (3) compare outcomes to international studies. Settings and Sample Population Analysis of 470 images of which 218 were Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate (UCLP), 128 Unilateral Cleft Lip (UCL), 9...

Objectives First, to investigate whether there is a relationship between a family being known to child protective services or police at the time of birth and the risk of abusive head trauma (AHT, formerly known as shaken baby syndrome). Second, to investigate whether data from child protective services or police improve a predictive risk model deri...

Background: Pregnancy interventions that improve maternal and infant outcomes are urgently needed in populations with high rates of obesity. We undertook the Healthy Mums and Babies (HUMBA) randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of dietary interventions and or probiotics in a multiethnic population of pregnant women with obesity, living...

Objective To investigate the amount of bone fill post‐secondary alveolar bone grafting for children with cleft in New Zealand. Settings and Sample Population Retrospective analysis of post‐operative intraoral peri‐apical and upper anterior occlusal radiographs of 45 grafted sites where all grafting was undertaken within the New Zealand public hosp...

Objectives Chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) in children can cause prolonged hearing loss, which is associated with an increased risk of learning delays and behavioural problems. Dispersal of bacterial pathogens from the nasal passages to the middle ear is implicated in COME. We sought to determine whether there is an association between na...

Appendix A. Detailed Methods and Appendix B. Detailed Results. (DOC)

Comparison of characteristics of participants whose nasal samples were included in the analysis with those that had unusable samples, with Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment. (DOCX)

Presence of differentially abundant operational taxonomic units in 73 samples with chronic otitis media with effusion and 105 healthy controls, with Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment. (DOCX)

The core microbiome of 73 children with chronic otitis media with effusion and 105 healthy controls. (DOCX)

Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination plot of Bray–Curtis community dissimilarities of OTUs for children with chronic otitis media with effusion and healthy controls, with variance stabilizing transformation to correct for difference in sequencing depth. (TIFF)

Objectives To evaluate dental arch relationships of patients with complete unilateral and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP/CBCLP) in New Zealand. Setting and Sample Population Retrospective nationwide observational outcomes study involving 100 CUCLP and 32 CBCLP non‐syndromic patients. Material and Methods Four calibrated assessors,...

Objective (1) To establish baseline lateral craniofacial morphology and soft tissue profile outcomes for New Zealand children with complete unilateral and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate (CUCLP/CBCLP) and determine differences in relation to demographic characteristics including cleft type, sex and ethnicity and (2) To compare these outcome...

Background Previous studies indicate that low birth weight and exposure to maternal stress during pregnancy may result in shortened telomeres in infants. Shorter telomere length has in turn been linked with accelerated ageing and with age-related diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between pregnancy and birth factors and relat...

A father’s presence in the family is important for promoting adaptive behavioral functioning in children. It is unknown however, if there is a critical time during infancy and childhood for such paternal presence and involvement to affect behaviour. Using data from the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative (ABC) study, we examined the amount of patern...