Image of Baby and his Mum wearing a face mask at the RCH Taken by Alex Coppel in 2022

Upgrade of Retcam

Through Good Friday Appeal support, RCH Ophthalmologists will have access to the latest equipment and technology, with the upgrade of a vital tool used in screening for eye disease in newborns, known as a RETCAM.

Each day some of Victoria’s sickest babies and infants are admitted to the Butterfly Ward at the RCH, the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with many teams from across the hospital coming together to provide specialist care. One of the teams caring for these babies is the Ophthalmology Department.

Using the RETCAM, clinicians are able to take digital photos of structures inside the eye to screen for paediatric eye conditions. The device will also play a pivotal role in how a patient’s evolving eye disease is managed. For example, for children with retinoblastoma, an eye cancer that develops in the retina, the RETCAM can be indispensable in detecting changes in the retina which can progress from sight-affecting to life threatening. The current system has been in use at the RCH since 2002 with almost 6,000 babies already directly benefiting from this sight-saving technology.

Updated March 2024.

Type 1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Program at MCRI/RCH

Research

Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in two to three children per week at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and is currently incurable. However, thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal, a science and research program conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the RCH is offering new hope.

Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Education and Training

Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, The Royal Children’s Hospital will engage a Professor of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Professor Franz Babl (pictured below), to undertake vital research to improve emergency care. The RCH’s Emergency Department is Australia’s largest paediatric Emergency Department. Not only does it help sick and injured children, but it also supports world-leading […]

Healthy Trajectories: A Child and Youth Disability Research Hub

Research

Children with disability are among the most complex patients at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). This means it is important to develop an innovative and research-based approach when it comes to the management of disability related health and social issues. Thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal, the RCH has been able to […]