The Incubator

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Channel • 12 Shows

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Updated 27 Aug
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Updated 2 Aug

4 days ago

#466 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Should we start CPAP at 8 instead of 5 in the delivery room for very preterm infants?

Send us Fan Mail Ben and Daphna dig into a pilot RCT that asks a deceptively simple delivery-room question: should very preterm infants start on CPAP of 5 or CPAP of 8 cmH2O? The PHILODENDRON trial, out of Milan's Buzzi Children's Hospital, randomized 56 babies born between 26 and 29 weeks to find out — testing feasibility, safety, and early physiological adaptation before committing to a larger multicenter trial. No major safety signals emerged, but babies on lower CPAP reached surfactant thresholds faster, while higher CPAP trended toward fewer air leaks and shorter ventilation. Ben and Daphna weigh the physiology against the data, and ask whether trials like this even test the right question in the first place. ---- Initial CPAP of 5 versus 8 cmH2O during delivery room stabilisation of very preterm infants: the PHILODENDROOM pilot randomised trial. Cavigioli F, Bresesti I, Castoldi F, Gatto S, Lupo E, Rossi S, La Verde A, Bianchi S, Meneghin F, Viaroli F, Pivetti V, Manfredini V, Cannata G, Bastrenta P, Fontana P, Stucchi I, Daniele I, Chiera M, Lista G.Eur J Pediatr. 2026 Aug 17;185(9):673. doi: 10.1007/s00431-026-07322-6.PMID: 42608615 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial. 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!
6 days ago

#466 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Do We Still Need a DAT on Every Newborn at Risk of Hemolytic Disease?

Send us Fan Mail Do we really need a DAT on every baby born to a group O or Rh-negative mother? This week on Journal Club, Ben and Daphna dig into a new Pediatrics study questioning routine Direct Antiglobulin Testing (DAT) in low-risk neonates with ABO or RhD incompatibility. Using data from over 1,300 infants, the authors found that transcutaneous bilirubin alone predicted the need for phototherapy just as well as DAT in ABO-incompatible babies, and that passive anti-D from RhoGAM rarely caused significant hemolysis in RhD-incompatible infants. Ben and Daphna also discuss what this means for institutions running DAT on every newborn, how to tell passive anti-D apart from true alloimmunization, and why a more targeted approach to bilirubin screening may be overdue. ---- Utility of DAT in Low-Risk Neonates With ABO or RhD Incompatibility. Tsai TL, Ma T, Nester T.Pediatrics. 2026 Sep 1;158(3):e2026076989. doi: 10.1542/peds.2026-076989.PMID: 42642037 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!
3 Sept

#462 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Dexamethasone Eye Drops Prevent Treatment Requiring ROP?

Send us Fan Mail Steroids again? This time in the eye. Daphna brings the DROP-ROP trial from JAMA Pediatrics, a double-masked randomized study across fourteen Swedish centers asking whether topical dexamethasone can stop pre-threshold ROP from progressing to type one disease. One hundred infants, born under 30 weeks, dosed for up to twelve weeks, some still getting drops at home. Twenty percent needed laser or anti-VEGF in the dexamethasone arm versus thirty-eight percent on placebo, a relative risk reduction that did not reach significance. Ben and Daphna talk through the safety signals, the intraocular pressure question, and how fast our field adopts promising ROP data. ---- Dexamethasone Eye Drops to Prevent Treatment-Requiring Retinopathy of Prematurity: The DROPROP Randomized Clinical Trial. Hellström A, Petrishka-Lozenska M, Sjöbom U, Wallander J, Nilsson AK, Löfqvist C, Ley D, Gränse L, Öhnell HM, Hård AL, Jakobsson G, Sävman K, Domellöf M, Löfgren S, Larsson E, Smith LEH, Pivodic A, Lundgren P; DROPROP Collaboration Group.JAMA Pediatr. 2026 Aug 3:e263247. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3247. Online ahead of print. 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 Jul

#455 - [Neo News] - Is Communication a Procedural Skill We're Failing to Train?

Send us Fan Mail What if communication were treated as a procedure, something we train for and get feedback on, just like an intubation? In this episode of Neo News, Eli Cahan talks with Dr. Jessica Fry of Northwestern University and Lurie Children's Hospital about her NeoReviews piece, "Recognizing Communication as a Procedural Skill in Neonatology." Dr. Fry shares the personal loss that shaped her career, the ethical stakes of getting family communication right, and how trauma-informed care can guide something as simple as how we address parents on rounds. They discuss the critical first 48 hours after admission and how simulation-based training can build real skill over time. A candid look at a skill every NICU provider uses daily, and how we can all get better at it. 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 Jul

#454 - PEEP, Tidal Volume, and Physiology, How Far Has Resuscitation Science Traveled? (ft Dr. Charles Roehr)

Send us Fan Mail How far has delivery room ventilation really come? In this special episode, recorded in collaboration with the Neonatal Resuscitation Symposium, Ben sits down with Dr. Charles Roehr, professor of neonatology and perinatal medicine at the University of Bristol, clinical trialist at the University of Oxford, and member of ILCOR. Together they trace the evolution of respiratory support at birth, from the era of fixed inflation breaths to today's focus on physiologic stability and gentle cardiopulmonary transition. Dr. Roehr reflects on a quarter century of resuscitation science, the enduring challenge of human factors in the delivery room, and where the field may be heading, from better intrapartum monitoring to increasingly specialized resuscitation teams. Dr. Roehr will be delivering a keynote, "Optimizing Effective Ventilation Strategies in the Delivery Room," at the Neonatal Resuscitation Symposium, taking place September 10 to 11 at Indiana University in Indianapolis. Learn more and register here: https://medicine.iu.edu/pediatrics/specialties/neonatal-perinatal/education/resuscitation-symposium 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!
31 Aug

#462 - [Journal Club] - 📌 After LISA Does CPAP Perform as Well as NIMV Below 30 Weeks?

Send us Fan Mail Most trials comparing CPAP and NIMV leave a lingering doubt about whether surfactant explained the difference. This one does not. Ben brings a multicenter noninferiority trial from JAMA Network Open in infants born between 24 and 29 weeks, randomized to nasal CPAP or NIMV with every baby receiving less invasive surfactant administration. The trial stopped early for futility after 312 infants. Noninvasive ventilation failure within 72 hours was 26 percent on CPAP versus 13 percent on NIMV. Ben and Daphna talk through what happens when surfactant is off the table, the unexpected NEC signal, and where the guidelines may need revisiting. ---- Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure vs Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation in Preterm Infants With Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Zhang H, Zhang Y, Zeng L, Tong X, Piao M, He H, Zhao C, Xie H, Zheng Z, Cui Q, Lai Y, Wang H, Wang L, Liu H, Tian X, Wu H, Kang L, Han T.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Jun 1;9(6):e2619785. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.19785. 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!
3 Aug

#457 - Are We Rethinking When and How We Give Surfactant (ft Dr. Roger Soll)

Send us Fan Mail When is surfactant "early," and when is it too early, or too late? In this second installment of our two-part series with the Neonatal Resuscitation Symposium, Ben Courchia sits down with Dr. Roger Soll, a leading voice in surfactant research since the 1980s, to trace how our thinking on timing has evolved, from aggressive prophylactic dosing to selective rescue therapy to today's less invasive approaches like LISA and SALSA. Dr. Soll unpacks why head-to-head trials keep favoring less invasive administration over InSurE, and how the rise of "nanopreemies" is quietly pulling the pendulum back toward earlier treatment. The conversation also touches on video laryngoscopy and aerosolized surfactant's unfulfilled promise. A candid, technically rich conversation for anyone who has stood at a warmer wondering whether, and when, to reach for surfactant. Dr. Soll expands on these themes at the Neonatal Resuscitation Symposium, September 10 to 11, 2026, at Indiana University School of Medicine. 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!
4 Jul

#450 - 📑 [Journal Club] - 🫀From The Heart - The Complete Episode from July 4th 2026

Send us Fan Mail Neonatal sepsis physiology, steroids, vasopressors, and moms.gov. A full week on The Incubator Journal Club. Adrianne and Nim open with a retrospective study from Toronto challenging the assumption that hypoxemic respiratory failure in septic preterm infants is driven by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. The data points instead to left ventricular dysfunction as a key contributor, raising questions about the reflex to reach for nitric oxide first. Nim then reviews a double-blind RCT from northern India evaluating early hydrocortisone versus placebo in neonatal fluid-refractory shock. The primary outcome did not reach statistical significance, but an 11 percent absolute reduction in mortality and a 70 percent open-label crossover rate tell a story of their own. Adrianne closes the journal club with a double-blind RCT comparing norepinephrine to dopamine for neonatal septic shock, finding no significant difference in shock reversal at 30 minutes, though significant methodological limitations make the findings hard to act on. Eli and Ben close the week on Neo News with a look at the newly launched moms.gov and what clinicians should know before their patients bring it up. 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!
17 Aug

#459 - Which AI tools are actually ready for the NICU right now?

Send us Fan Mail Is your EMR actually built for neonatology, or just retrofitted to survive it? Ben sits down with Dr. Lindsey Knake, clinical assistant professor and associate chief health information officer at the University of Iowa, to talk AI in the NICU. They cover the real difference between Epic's homegrown tools and third-party options like Evidently and NABLA, why a six-month hospital stay breaks most chart summarization tools, and how ambient AI is starting to change documentation and family counseling. Lindsey also shares practical paths into clinical informatics for clinicians without a coding background. A grounded look at where NICU technology actually stands right now. 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!
8 Aug

#032 Entrevista 📚 👩‍⚕️ 🎤 Dra. Maria Victoria Fraga, MD. Ecografía en el punto de atención (POCUS): integración en la clínica para diagnóstico y manejo en neonatos en estado crítico.

Estamos encantados en presentar a nuestra invitada especial, la Dra. Maria Victoria Fraga, MD. Actualmente, se desempeña como neonatóloga adscrita en el Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) y como Profesora de Pediatría en la Facultad de medicina Perelman School of Medicine en la Universidad de Pensilvania. La Dra. Maria Victoria Fraga es pionera en hemodinamia neonatal y experta en la ecografía en el punto de atención (POCUS). Inició su formación en pediatría y neonatología en Buenos Aires, Argentina. En Estados Unidos, completó la subespecialidad en neonatología en el Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Bajo la mentoría del Dr. Haresh Kirpalani (BM, MRCP, FRCP, MSc), la Dra. Fraga se formó en ecocardiografía funcional neonatal con el Dr. Nicholas Evans en Sídney, Australia, y posteriormente desarrolló el Programa de Ecografía en el punto de atención (Point-of-Care Ultrasound) en la UCIN del Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, donde actualmente capacita a neonatólogos especialistas y a médicos en formación (fellows) en aplicaciones de ecografía diagnóstica y procedimental a pie de cama. La Dra. Fraga creó NeoPocusCollab, una nueva iniciativa colaborativa cuyo objetivo es fomentar la expansión del uso de la ecografía a pie de cama (POCUS) en las unidades de cuidados intensivos neonatales (UCIN). ¡Esperamos que disfrutes de este episodio tan increíble tanto como nosotros! Bienvenidos a La Incubadora: una conversación sobre neonatología y medicina basada en evidencia. Nuestros episodios ofrecen la dosis ideal (en mg/kg) de los más recientes avances para el neonato y para las increíbles personas que forman parte de la medicina neonatal. Soy tu host, Maria Flores Cordova, MD. Este podcast está presentado por los médicos neonatólogos Dani de Luis Rosell, Elena Itriago, Carolina Michel y Juliana Castellanos. No dudes en enviarnos preguntas, comentarios o sugerencias a nuestro correo electrónico: nicupodcast@gmail.com Síguenos en nuestras redes: Twitter: @incubadorapod Instagram: @laincubadorapodcast Creado originalmente por Ben Courchia MD y Daphna Yasova Barbeau MD http://www.the-incubator.org

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.