The Incubator

The Incubator
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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. 6 HR AGO

    #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!

    13 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    #442 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Is a low Apgar score more concerning than a low umbilical pH in preemies?

    Send us Fan Mail Ben kicks things off with a major career update before we dive into a critical study from JAMA Network Open. We explore the predictive value of the five minute Apgar score when combined with umbilical artery pH in very preterm infants. While the Apgar score was originally designed for term babies, this analysis of the EPICE cohort reveals its enduring utility even in the smallest patients. We discuss how these two measures interact, which one "wins" when they conflict, and why the clinician assessment remains a powerful predictor of mortality and severe morbidity in the NICU. ---- Apgar Score Plus Umbilical Artery pH and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes in Very Preterm Infants. Ehrhardt H, Behboodi S, Maier RF, Aubert AM, Ådén U, Staude B, Draper ES, Gudmundsdottir A, Siljehav V, Varendi H, Weber T, Zemlin M, Zeitlin J; EPICE/SHIPS Research Group.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 2;9(2):e2557913. 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 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    #442 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Does 24 hour in house staffing decrease physician productivity metrics?

    Send us Fan Mail Is your NICU considering the shift to 24 hour in house attending coverage? In this episode of Journal Club, we explore a provocative brief communication from the Journal of Perinatology. Ben and Daphna discuss the impact of moving from home call to on site presence at UC Davis. While the change was intended to improve patient care, the data reveals a surprising 15 percent decrease in work RVUs. We examine how proactive weaning and bedside presence might actually lower billing levels under current CPT codes. Are we being penalized for doing the right thing for our patients? ---- From on-call to on-site: the impact of 24-hour in-house neonatology on billing patterns and physician productivity. Donohue L, Lakshminrusimha S.J Perinatol. 2026 Feb;46(2):289-292. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02530-8. Epub 2026 Jan 5.PMID: 41490931 Free PMC article. No abstract available. 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 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    #442 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Does NIRS guided treatment improve clinical outcomes for extremely preterm infants?

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Journal Club, Ben and Daphna dive into the results of the NIRTURE trial, recently published in JAMA Network Open. Building on the lessons of SafeBoosC 3 , the NIRTURE investigators aimed to reduce the burden of cerebral hypoxia and hyperoxia in extremely preterm infants using a standardized NIRS guided treatment protocol. While the study showed a dramatic improvement in maintaining cerebral normoxia, driven largely by a reduction in hyperoxia , the clinical outcomes before discharge remained neutral. Join us as we discuss whether regional oximetry is a must have bedside tool or just another data point in search of a clear clinical benefit.   ---- Cerebral Oximetry-Guided Treatment and Cerebral Oxygenation in Extremely Preterm Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Jani PR, Goyen TA, Balegar KK, Maheshwari R, Saito-Benz M, Schindler T, Moore J, Merhi M, Cruz M, Song Y, McDonagh H, Luig M, Tracy M, D'Cruz D, Perdomo A, Morakeas S, Dasireddy V, Culcer M, Shingde V, Bennington K, Michalowski J, Fucek A, Querim J, Stevens S, Santanelli J, Elhindi J, Gloss B, Halliday R, Shah D, Popat H.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 2;9(2):e2557620.  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 min

  5. 3 DAYS AGO

    #441 - Is Two Years Enough? Fellowship Directors Respond to the ABP’s Proposed Training Overhaul

    Send us Fan Mail The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) recently announced a move toward competency-based subspecialty training that would shorten fellowships — including neonatology — from three years to two. The proposal has sent shockwaves through the training community. In this episode, Daphna sits down with three leaders from the Organization of Neonatal Perinatal Training Program Directors (ONTPD): Dr. Patrick Myers from Northwestern, Dr. Heather French from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Melissa Scala from Stanford. Together, they break down what competency-based medical education actually means in practice, why the math simply doesn't add up when applied to neonatology, and what this could mean for procedural training, scholarly activity, fellow well-being, and ultimately patient care. They also address the workforce concerns driving the ABP's proposal, share survey data from program directors across the country, and offer concrete alternative pathways forward. The message from the field is clear: the community wants to innovate — but they want a seat at the table first. 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!

    47 min

  6. 29 APR

    #440 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - What Goes Into Planning the Biggest Pediatric Conference in the World?

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Daniel Rauch, PAS 2026 program chair, joins Ben for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to pull off a conference of this scale — and what he's learned from this year's record-breaking attendance in Boston. He reflects on the sessions that packed rooms beyond capacity, from the Tiny Baby Collaborative to AI in pediatrics, and shares what's on the horizon for PAS 2027 in Minneapolis and PAS 2028 in Vancouver. He also makes the case for why PAS remains uniquely valuable for trainees and early career clinicians — not just for the science, but for the cross-disciplinary hallway conversations that become next year's publications — and highlights the steps the conference is taking to be more inclusive, from closed captioning and a first-ever Spanish language session to on-site daycare and mobility devices for attendees with ambulatory difficulties. 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!

    12 min

  7. 29 APR

    #440 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - Is the Neonatology Job Market About to Shift Dramatically in Fellows' Favor?

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Benny Rossner, PGY-2 pediatrics resident and veteran physician recruiter with 15 years of experience building clinical teams across the country, joins Ben and Rupa for a candid look at the neonatology workforce from a side of the conversation trainees rarely hear. He breaks down why demand for neonatologists is rising — sicker and younger patients, a shrinking APP pipeline into high-acuity specialties, and hospitals stretching budgets on locums before finally raising permanent salaries — and why fellows coming out of training have more negotiating power than they typically realize. He also shares practical advice on contract negotiations, non-competes, and why knowing the right people still matters enormously when it comes to landing the most competitive academic or metropolitan positions. 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!

    12 min

  8. 29 APR

    #440 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - Are We Ready for Gentle Hemodynamics the Way We Embraced Gentle Ventilation?

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gabriel Altit and Daniela Villegas from the NeoCardioLab at Montreal join Ben and Rupa to reflect on a packed PAS filled with hemodynamics science — from pulmonary hypertension phenotyping to heart-brain interactions in the golden hour. Dr. Altit makes the case that just as neonatology learned to embrace gentle ventilation, it is time to think about gentle hemodynamics — intervening thoughtfully, recognizing different clinical phenotypes, and knowing when to remove interventions before they carry a price. He also previews early 3D echo data suggesting that a single clip at day 7 to 10 of life may already carry a signature predicting which babies will develop adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes by 36 weeks. Daniela shares her approach to family consent and research recruitment — sitting down, leaving papers behind, connecting families to the history of research that made current NICU care possible, and always giving them space to process before returning for an answer. 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 min
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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
    884
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 CATO NEONATAL INNOVATIONS INC.
  • Show Website
    The Incubator
  • Provider

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