Elisabeth is creating brighter beginnings for the next generation
Neutral Bay’s Elisabeth Murphy always loved paediatrics and the professor has been recognised for her work, making the King’s Birthday Honours List for her efforts in child and family health.
Elisabeth spent over 20 years as clinical service director for child health programs for Northern Sydney Local Health District and, until recently, was senior clinical advisor for Child and Family Health NSW.
She was recognised on the King’s Birthday Honours List in June, receiving a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to child and family health programs in NSW.
“I was absolutely thrilled because it’s been a wonderful career,” says Elisabeth. “I teach medical students, and I say to them, ‘I’ve wanted to go to work every day of my career’. And that’s such a privilege because not everybody gets that satisfaction and joy from their work.”
A pharmacist’s daughter, Elisabeth spent her adolescence working in the family’s pharmacy in Mosman. She went on to study medicine, doing a brief stint in adult medicine before moving to paediatrics, her true passion.
She now works as a medical advisor for Brighter Beginnings, The First 2000 Days of Life, at NSW Health.
The State Government’s Brighter Beginnings initiative includes free health checks for children up to five years old and a Building Brains video series to support parents through the crucial first 2,000 days, from conception to age five.
It shows parents ways they can help give their children the best start in life.
“For people to be their healthiest, it takes you (back to childhood),” says Elisabeth. “And in recent years, to the importance of the first 2,000 days. It’s been extraordinary in my clinical lifetime to have reached this incredible evidence-based point where we can really turn things around.
Elisabeth belives in early intervention
“In the past, we just didn’t realise how important everything that was happening around that baby was to building the brain and building that good structure.
“What’s happening in the womb is so powerful,” Elisabeth explains.
“And when the baby is born, the brain is growing as a result of interactions with carers. If you want those neural connections to be secure, loving and predictable, then that’s the environment that that baby needs.
“If people realise that the first 2,000 days are an investment for the next 30,000 days, it’s such a powerful message.”
Elisabeth says NSW Health is trying to make resources available to parents about the importance of building their babies’ brains, like flip chart Love, Talk, Sing, Read, Play.
“If you want to know what you need to do for the best outcome for your child, you love, talk, sing, read and play,” says Elisabeth.
“Not everybody knows how to do that with a six-week or a six-month-old. So, this is a flip chart that talks about the developmental milestones in this age group.”
Elisabeth was involved in bringing in the newborn hearing screening program and the statewide eyesight preschooler vision screening program.
Now, Elisabeth says they are expanding their work to include a four-year check, visiting early childhood centres to identify any children who need intervention before they start school.
“I love my work, and my ministerial colleagues who choose to work in child and family health are just amazing,” says Elisabeth. “I get such joy from the families I work with.”
“You can really make a difference to people’s lives,” she says. “The power of what can be achieved is so great.”
For more information on the programs, visit health.nsw.gov.au