Hi, my name is Charlotte, and this year, I will be exploring the question:

Are choice and control the determining factors in ensuring women have a healthy and fulfilling birth experience?

I've always been fascinated by the idea of birth and the fact that you can grow another human inside you- it has always amazed me. I've also always loved babies and wanted lots of children. This is why when we were asked to think of a topic for our project, my mind went straight to birth. Until recently, however, I hadn't thought about how every birth experience is different and how each can have a tremendous impact on the mother and her baby. I thought more about this when I went to a university open day and stumbled across the midwifery course. My now mentor Emma Ritchie was running a program on midwifery which deeply interested me and sparked my project idea.

For a while, I explored the ideas behind natural childbirth and highly medicalised births and how the birth experience has drastically changed over history. Until the late 18th century, birth was an exclusively female event, managed only by midwives and close female relatives. This change became complete when, in the 1920s, the medical model of birth began to emerge, as the heavy use of obstetrics became increasingly popular. This research led me to the idea of choice and control playing a significant role in the birthing experience and the outcome.

Something I find particularly interesting is the rising caesarean rates over the past two decades. In 2020, 37 out of 100 births in Australia were by caesarean section, which is higher than the global average of 28 per 100 births in developed countries. Even more interesting is that the cause of this steep rise is virtually unknown. Compared to homebirth statistics in the same year, the numbers are very different. In 2020 only 0.5 percent of births in Australia took place at home. My aim with this project is not to judge or criticise people's choices but to understand why women might make certain decisions and explore how being given space to make these choices can provide benefits.

In terms of my practical, I am still working on an idea that relates directly to my question, but seeing as I haven't ever given birth myself, I feel it is really important for me to connect with people who have.

It is, for this reason I would welcome anyone who has given birth or who is expecting a baby and may be interested in connecting with me to make contact. I am curious about prospective mothers' thoughts and stories, and it would be an incredible honour to hear them and also to experience first-hand diverse perspectives. Feel free to contact me at charlotte.southall@iinet.net.au.

It is a whole new experience this year, having the opportunity to dive deeply into one specific topic. Although it is sometimes difficult to research so much into one thing and often easy to get lost down a rabbit hole of ideas, I think my extreme fascination with this subject will help keep me invested and on track. Hopefully, over the course of this year, I will gain new ideas and perspectives that will help me out in the world when I have left school.

BLANK

Tahlia Crawford

Hi, my name is Tahlia Crawford, and I am a Class 12 Student. This year I am asking the question: 

How can the composition of the gut microbiome influence mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety? 

I have always been fascinated with the human body and how it is impacted by our actions. Towards the end of last year, I decided that I wanted my Year 12 Project to reflect this idea. Midway through 2022, due to health conditions, I was put on a nutritional treatment plan and an Antimicrobial Diet to reduce symptoms of Gastrointestinal Discomfort and support my microbiome. During this time, I started looking at how environmental and pharmaceutical factors influence our body (especially the gut microbiome) and how gut dysbiosis can affect our brain's function, development, and behavior. The term dysbiosis refers to when the gut becomes imbalanced due to either a loss of beneficial bacteria, an overgrowth of bacteria, or incorrectly situated bacteria. This idea sparked my interest, and as I began to research it more, it became evident just how important the gut is and how significant it can be in mental health. I was shocked when I read an academic article stating that gut microbiome dysbiosis had been identified in many neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, and depression. This made me decide to encompass mental health in my question as well. 

Devastatingly, approximately 280 million people suffer from a form of depression, and 290 million people suffer from a form of anxiety (pre-COVID-19 statistic). These statistics saddened me, but they also made me question how it is that the gut is still so overlooked, even by medical professionals, considering the undeniable link between it and the brain. My project examines how gut microbiome dysbiosis can be caused and how it can influence mental health.

For my practical, I plan to run a series of lessons with students in the high school community, where I will bring awareness to the external factors that influence our body, for example, food, and why it impacts our body the way it does. I also hope to publish a small article in a newspaper or online column to reach the broader community and help spread awareness.

So far, the project process has been smooth, and I feel I have good foundations to work off for the upcoming terms. Something interesting I have found with my project is that people are either extremely familiar or unfamiliar with it. No matter which one, I always learn something from these conversations. Whether it is how to better explain a concept or idea or expanding my own way of thinking to better understand someone else's thought processes. I believe the gut is not given anywhere near enough recognition, and I look forward to bringing more awareness to it as the year progresses.