The Incubator

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Channel • 12 Shows

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Medicine

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Updated 12 hr ago
Medicine

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Medicine

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Updated 29 May
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Parenting

Updated 28 May
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26 May

#445 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Can a few drops of breast milk in a preterm infant's nose actually improve cerebral oxygenation?

Send us Fan Mail Could putting a few drops of breast milk in a preterm infant's nose actually improve cerebral oxygenation? In this episode of Journal Club, Daphna reviews a randomized controlled trial from the European Journal of Pediatrics investigating the physiologic effects of intranasal expressed breast milk (EBM) administration in preterm infants. The study found that infants receiving 0.2 mL of fresh breast milk intranasally three times daily showed significantly higher cerebral oxygenation levels, along with more favorable trends in heart rate and respiratory rate, compared to controls. While time to full oral feeding and length of hospital stay were unchanged, the safety data is reassuring. Ben and Daphna discuss what outcomes we should even be measuring, and whether the evidence is already good enough to just do it. ---- Effect of intranasal breast milk administration on cerebral oxygenation, vital signs, and transition time to full oral feeding in preterm infants: a randomized controlled study. Yücel A, Küçükoğlu S, Konak M.Eur J Pediatr. 2026 Apr 16;185(5):272. doi: 10.1007/s00431-026-06922-6.PMID: 41986747 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!

26 May

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23 min
25 May

#445 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Can symptom-based dosing cut hospitalization time for babies with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome?

Send us Fan Mail One infant is diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome every 27 minutes, and rates are rising. In this episode of Journal Club, Ben and Daphna review the Optimized NOW randomized clinical trial, a landmark multicenter study published in JAMA. The trial compared symptom-based dosing, a single opioid dose given when a withdrawal threshold is met against the traditional scheduled opioid taper in infants managed with Eat Sleep Console. The results are striking: symptom-based dosing reduced time to medical readiness for discharge by nearly two and a half days, and 65% of pharmacologically treated infants avoided scheduled opioid dosing entirely. Could this be the evidence-based approach that finally reshapes how we treat NOWS pharmacologically? ---- Symptom-Based Dosing for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal: The OPTimize NOW Randomized Clinical Trial. Devlin LA et al HEAL Evaluation of Limited Pharmacotherapies for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (HELP for NOWS) Consortium.JAMA. 2026 Apr 25:e265782. doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.5782. Online ahead of print. PMID: 42033722 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!

25 May

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25 min
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!

1 Jun

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48 min
29 May

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

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!

29 May

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19 min
14 May

#442 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Does combining EEG and MRI improve neurodevelopmental prognostication in preterm infants?

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Journal Club, we wrap up a marathon recording session with a deep dive into the world of neonatal neuroprognostication. Daphna reviews a systematic review and meta-analysis from Pediatric Neurology that evaluates whether combining EEG and MRI provides better answers for families of preterm infants. While MRI remains a powerful tool for structural assessment, the data suggests that adding the functional insights of EEG significantly boosts specificity, particularly when predicting severe neurodevelopmental outcomes. We discuss the importance of timing these studies and the clinical value of sleep-wake cycling as a developmental milestone at the bedside. ---- Combined Use of Electroencephalography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Prognostication of Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Forrest CD, Biagioni T, Liley HG, Lai MM, Colditz PB, Ware RS, Boyd RN, Roberts JA.Pediatr Neurol. 2026 Feb;175:116-129. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2025.11.005. Epub 2025 Nov 13.PMID: 41337899 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!

14 May

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13 min
16 May

#442 - 📑 Journal Club - The Complete Episode from May 16th 2026

Send us Fan Mail Cerebral oxygenation, staffing economics, delivery room scoring, neurodevelopmental prognostication, and public health — a full week on the Incubator Journal Club. Ben walks through the NIRTURE trial, a single-device RCT testing cerebral oximetry-guided care in infants born under 29 weeks. The intervention dramatically reduced the burden of cerebral hypoxia and hyperoxia compared to standard care. Secondary clinical outcomes were neutral and neurodevelopmental follow-up is still pending. The question of whether stabilizing cerebral oxygenation actually moves the needle for these babies remains unanswered. Daphna covers a brief communication from the Journal of Perinatology on what happens to billing and productivity when NICUs shift to 24-hour in-house attending coverage. Clinical FTE went up, work RVUs went down — and the reason is counterintuitive. Attendings present overnight were weaning babies faster. Better care, less revenue. The coding system was not built to capture that. Ben then pairs the 5-minute Apgar with umbilical artery pH in very preterm infants using EPICE cohort data. When both are low, risk is highest. When they compete, the Apgar wins. Daphna rounds out Journal Club with a systematic review showing that combining EEG and brain MRI outperforms either tool alone for neurodevelopmental prognostication in preterm infants. The week closes with Ben and Eli on the sweeping domestic and international public health funding cuts — and what they mean for the vulnerable 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!

16 May

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1hr 25min
18 May

#443 - Could NeoGuide Be the Answer to the NICU’s Variability Problem?

Send us Fan Mail Every neonatologist has built a protocol or written a guideline, and most have done it completely alone. In this episode, Ben sits down with Dr. Christina Muffy Sollinger (UC Davis) and Dr. Sarvin Ghavam (CHOP), the co-founders of NeoGuide, a national collaborative dedicated to connecting clinicians around the shared work of clinical guidelines and practice pathways. Born from a single email that broke a listserv and generated over 120 responses overnight, NeoGuide has grown into a structured community offering a seminar series on topics like transfusion medicine and HIE management, and a curriculum series focused on implementation science. Muffy and Sarvin discuss how to build consensus without promoting cookie-cutter medicine, the moral distress of clinical uncertainty, and their vision for a living repository of institutional pathways. Whether you are at a level four academic center or a small rural NICU, you shouldn’t have to start from scratch. To learn more, visit NeoGuide.org 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!

18 May

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44 min
15 May

#442 - [Neo News] - 📌 What Is the Ripple Effect of Defunding Disease Surveillance?

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Neo News, Ben and Eli tackle the recent, quiet—but massive—public health funding cuts implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services. With $600 million pulled back from four targeted states and additional CDC block grants eliminated, they discuss the severe domestic implications for local health departments, HIV/STI surveillance, and lead poisoning prevention. They also zoom out to examine the global health consequences of the US withdrawing from the WHO. Tune in as the hosts break down why these macro-level policy shifts directly impact the frontlines of neonatal care, from the need to scrutinize prenatal labs more closely to adapting clinical protocols for vulnerable populations and new arrivals. ---- https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/health/hhs-california-public-health-lawsuit.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/02/19/alternative-world-health-organization-proposal/ 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!

15 May

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21 min
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!

28 May

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19 min
22 May

#444 - Can a Beanie Protect NICU Infants from Harmful Noise While Keeping Them Connected to Their Parents?

Send us Fan Mail The NICU is one of the loudest environments a newborn will ever experience, yet it is also where the most vulnerable infants spend their earliest, most developmentally critical days. In this Tech Tuesday episode, Ben and Daphna sit down with Gabby Daltoso and Sophie Ishiwari, co-founders of the Sonura Beanie. Their device tackles two pressing NICU challenges at once: harmful noise exposure and disrupted parental connection. By embedding a low-pass filtration system tuned to the acoustic environment of the womb into standard hospital beanies, Sonura attenuates high-frequency alarms while preserving the frequency of the human voice. Parents can also send recordings of songs, stories, and their heartbeat directly to their infant at the bedside. With a feasibility trial underway at Penn Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania President’s Innovation Prize secured, Gabby and Sophie are just getting started. To learn more, visit www.sonuracare.com 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!

22 May

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21 min

Ben and Daphna go through daily neonatal board questions. If you are studying for the upcoming neonatal boards exam or just want to keep your neonatal knowledge sharp, this is the podcast for you. This show is done in collaboration with Neonatology Review (Dr. Dara Brodsky and Dr. Camilia Martin).

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The neonatology focused podcast hosted by Dr. Ben Courchia MD & Dr. Daphna Yasova Barbeau.

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