The Incubator

The Incubator
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Medicine
  • Updated daily

A weekly discussion about new evidence in neonatal care and the fascinating individuals who make this progress possible. Hosted by Dr. Ben Courchia and Dr. Daphna Yasova Barbeau.

  1. 2 hr ago

    #447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Does Extended CPAP Reduce Intermittent Hypoxemia in Stable Preterm Infants?

    Send us Fan Mail What happens to intermittent hypoxemia when you keep a stable preterm infant on CPAP for two extra weeks? In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a secondary analysis from the Journal of Pediatrics by Mamidi and McEvoy. Among 95 infants randomized to either two additional weeks of bubble CPAP on room air or discontinued CPAP, those in the extended CPAP group experienced significantly fewer intermittent hypoxemia episodes (57.6 versus 151.7), higher baseline saturations, and greater functional residual capacity. The episode also touches on the practical implications for units navigating oral feeding protocols alongside extended CPAP. ---- Extended Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Infants Born Preterm Decreases Intermittent Hypoxemia: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Mamidi RR, Go MDA, Harris J, Olson M, Milner K, Tepper RS, Morris C, Park B, Schelonka R, MacDonald KD, McEvoy CT.J Pediatr. 2026 May 25:115165. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.115165. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42190903 Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    19 min

  2. 1 day ago

    #447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Are we missing UTIs in neonates hospitalized for unexplained jaundice?

    Send us Fan Mail In this Journal Club episode, Daphna reviews a retrospective cohort study from Istanbul examining clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound factors associated with UTI in neonates hospitalized for unexplained hyperbilirubinemia. Among 96 term and near-term infants, 31% had culture-proven UTIs, a striking prevalence. Pathological renal ultrasound findings were independently associated with UTI, with affected neonates 4.6 times more likely to have a concurrent infection. Notably, standard laboratory markers including CRP and white blood cell count failed to distinguish UTI-positive from UTI-negative infants. The findings prompt a practical question: should urine culture be part of the routine workup for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia? ---- Renal ultrasonography findings are associated with urinary tract infection in neonates with asymptomatic hyperbilirubinemia. Sarı EE, Salihoğlu Ö.J Perinatol. 2026 Apr 13. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02686-x. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41975209 Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    16 min

  3. 2 days ago

    #447 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Is phototherapy doing more harm than good in very preterm infants?

    Send us Fan Mail In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a nationwide Swedish cohort study examining the association between phototherapy duration and neonatal outcomes in very preterm infants (22 to 31 weeks). The study’s primary outcome, late neonatal mortality on days 8 to 27, was not significantly associated with phototherapy duration. However, longer phototherapy exposure was associated with increased odds of severe neonatal morbidity, including IVH and BPD, in infants born at 26 to 31 weeks. The findings prompt an important conversation about the near-universal use of phototherapy in preterm neonates and whether current practice warrants reassessment. ---- Phototherapy, Morbidity, and Mortality in Very Preterm Newborns. Deschmann E, Håkansson S, Söderling J, Norman M.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 May 1;9(5):e2614107. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.14107.PMID: 42166159 Free PMC article. Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    24 min

  4. 1 Jun

    #446 - Is Bedside Transcatheter PDA Closure Ready for Your NICU?

    Send us Fan Mail What if closing a PDA could be done at the bedside in under 10 minutes, without transporting a fragile preterm infant to the cath lab? Dr. Shyam Sathanandam, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute, joins us to discuss the evolution of transcatheter PDA closure in extremely preterm infants. We cover how bedside procedures protect the most vulnerable neonates, which infants are most likely to benefit from closure, the learning curve and complication profile, and Dr. Sathanandam's vision of eventually training neonatologists to perform this procedure themselves. Dr. Shyam Sathanandam has consulting and compensation relationships with Abbott Laboratories and Medtronic, both relevant to topics discussed in this episode. Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    48 min

  5. 30 May

    #445 - 📑 Journal Club - The Complete Episode from May 30th 2026

    Send us Fan Mail Opioid withdrawal dosing, intranasal breast milk, human milk fortification in Japan, neonatal dysphagia, and vaccine policy. A full week on the Incubator Journal Club. Ben opens with the Optimized NOW trial in JAMA: symptom-based dosing reduced time to medical readiness for discharge by nearly two and a half days in NOWS infants managed with Eat Sleep Console, and allowed 65% of pharmacologically treated infants to avoid scheduled opioids entirely. Daphna reviews a small RCT out of Turkey showing improved cerebral oxygenation and favorable vital sign trends after intranasal breast milk administration in preterm infants, adding to the growing tolerability data for this intervention. Ben then covers the JASMINE trial, a Phase 3 RCT in Japan showing significantly better weight gain velocity with an exclusive human milk diet in very low birth weight infants. Daphna closes with a retrospective cohort study on FEES-confirmed dysphagia in preterm infants. Of those who met criteria for evaluation, every single one had laryngeal penetration and 57% were aspirating. Ben and Eli close the week on the quiet dismantling of vaccine infrastructure in the US and what it means for the populations in your NICU. Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    1hr 39min

  6. 29 May

    #445 - [Neo News] - 📌 Are Regulatory Roadblocks Threatening the Future of Neonatal Vaccines?

    Send us Fan Mail In this fast-paced episode of Neo News, Eli and Ben tackle the rapidly shifting landscape of vaccine regulation and economics in the US. They discuss recent political maneuvers surrounding the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and how expanding liability could quietly push manufacturers out of the market entirely. The hosts also examine the FDA's recent hesitation to review Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine, highlighting how these administrative roadblocks threaten the financial viability of developing novel vaccines—including critical immunizations for pediatric and neonatal populations. Tune in for a sharp analysis of how top-down policy changes might reshape everyday clinical practice! ---- 1) https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5689850-kennedy-dismisses-vaccine-advisors/ 2) https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/15/rfk-jr-vaccines-autism-vicp/ 3) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/health/fda-moderna-flu-vaccine-mrna.html 4) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/health/rfk-vaccine-manufacturers.html Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    20 min

  7. 28 May

    #445 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Are we missing dysphagia in very preterm infants before they leave the NICU?

    Send us Fan Mail How often are we missing dysphagia in our most vulnerable NICU patients? In this episode of Journal Club, Daphna reviews a retrospective cohort study from the Journal of Perinatology examining the incidence and risk factors of dysphagia confirmed by flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in very preterm and very low birth weight infants. Among infants showing persistent feeding difficulties at 38 weeks post-menstrual age, laryngeal penetration was detected in all infants who underwent FEES, and tracheal aspiration in nearly 60%. Ben and Daphna discuss whether we are naming dysphagia for what it is, whether earlier instrumental assessment could change outcomes, and what it means for families to finally understand why their baby is struggling to feed. ---- Incidence and factors associated with dysphagia in infants born very preterm or very low birth weight. Reynolds J, Suterwala M, Desai S, Chiruvolu A.J Perinatol. 2026 Apr 29. doi: 10.1038/s41372-026-02701-1. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42056238 Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    19 min

  8. 27 May

    #445 - What Can Japan Teach Us About Treating Human Milk Fortifier as a Drug? (Part 2)

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a single struggling baby into a national standard of care? In this episode, Ben sits down with Professor Katsumi Mizuno (Showa Medical University) and Dr. Melinda Elliott (Chief Medical Officer, Prolacta Bioscience) to discuss the landmark Jasmine Trial, the first randomized controlled trial of an exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) in Japan. The results: significantly better weight and length gain, fewer antibiotic days, and improved feeding tolerance in very preterm infants. After an eight-year regulatory journey, Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) granted Prolacta's human milk-based fortifier PreemieFort drug-level designation, a global first, ensuring equitable, nationally reimbursed access for every preterm infant in the country. The conversation also looks ahead to the Fuji Trial and what Japan's precedent-setting decision could mean for Europe and the US. The guests joining us today have a direct financial or professional relationship with the topic being discussed in this episode. This may include employment, a consultant role, research funding relationship, or other ties to the company or product being reviewed. Support the show As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A weekly discussion about new evidence in neonatal care and the fascinating individuals who make this progress possible. Hosted by Dr. Ben Courchia and Dr. Daphna Yasova Barbeau.

Information

  • Channel
    The Incubator
  • Creator
    Ben Courchia & Daphna Yasova Barbeau
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    899
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 CATO NEONATAL INNOVATIONS INC.
  • Show Website
    The Incubator
  • Provider
    ENSO NEONATAL INNOVATION LLC

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