Student researcher

Dr Megan O'Donnell Research Leader

Previous research indicates that reproductive outcomes, such as fertility rate, gestational age, birth weight, number of multiple births and the ratio of boys to girls, alter following environmental disasters due to the effects of maternal stress. This study is examining the effects of two Australian bushfires - the 2003 Canberra fires and the 2009 Black Saturday fires - on these outcomes. To further understand the needs of women who survive bushfires while pregnant, this work also examines their experiences and makes recommendations for future practice.