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In this live episode from the Neo Conference in Las Vegas, we welcome back Dr. Souvik Mitra to unpack the evolving landscape of PDA management in extremely preterm infants. We dive into the recent AAP guidelines recommending against early medical treatment and explore potential unintended consequences, including rising transcatheter closure rates and delayed intervention. Dr. Mitra shares his institution's approach using the SMART-PDA criteria, highlighting the importance of treatment timing and proper patient selection. Join us for a nuanced discussion balancing large pragmatic trial data with bedside clinical judgment for our most vulnerable babies.

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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.

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What are we actually compressing during neonatal CPR? This week on The Incubator Podcast, Ben and Daphna dive into a provocative echocardiography study out of Edmonton showing that standard chest compressions in newborns likely target the right heart and great vessels — not the left ventricle. A small sample size, but a finding that anyone who ultrasounds hearts all day will instantly recognize.

Daphna presents a retrospective multicenter study from Nationwide Children's on antibiotic duration for Gram-negative bloodstream infections in the NICU. Short course (≤8 days) showed no treatment failures — while 14% of infants in the long duration group developed a multi-drug resistant organism infection. Eight days versus ten: does the difference matter? The data says yes.

Ben reviews a randomized controlled trial from UAB on early vitamin D supplementation in extremely preterm infants fed human milk. Eight hundred units daily for the first two weeks appears safe and effective at achieving vitamin D sufficiency — but did it move the needle on BPD? And is that even the right question to ask?

Daphna brings a QI paper from Levine Children's on universal social determinants of health screening across nine pediatric divisions, achieving 92% compliance and connecting thousands of families to resources through findhelp.org. A reminder that the tools are already there — we just have to use them.

The episode wraps with Ben, Daphna, and Eli discussing Colorado's landmark paid NICU leave law — the first in the nation to require employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for parents with a baby in the NICU. What does the evidence say, and how do we advocate for this in our own states?

Science, equity, and advocacy — all in one episode.

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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.

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In this episode of Neo News, we break down Colorado’s groundbreaking legislation mandating 12 weeks of paid leave for NICU parents—a potential blueprint for national change. We explore the critical intersection of policy, economics, and infant health, discussing why supporting families at the bedside isn't just morally right but economically smart. We also highlight new research from economists like Maya Rossin-Slater and Mariam Khan linking paid leave to reduced neonatal mortality. Plus, find out how you can turn these policy shifts into advocacy tools for your own state. Join us for a concise, high-impact update on the future of NICU care.

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Boese, L. (2024, December 18).Why Colorado’s paid NICU leave law could spark nationwide trend. HR Executive. **https://hrexecutive.com/why-colorados-paid-nicu-leave-law-could-spark-nationwide-trend/**

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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.

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Ben and Daphna conclude Journal Club with a quality improvement study from Pediatrics titled "Improving Health-Related Social Needs Screening and Support Across a Pediatric Health Care System". The hosts discuss the successful implementation of universal social determinants of health (SDOH) screening across nine pediatric divisions at Levine Children's. They highlight the impressive results—screening compliance reaching 92%—and the practical impact of connecting families to resources like FindHelp.org, which led to a 56% resolution rate in food insecurity for positive screens. Daphna makes a personal commitment to improve resource accessibility in her own unit.

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Improving Health-Related Social Needs Screening and Support Across a Pediatric Health Care System. Laroia R, Minor W, Carr A, Buitrago Mogollon T, White BB, Mabus S, Stilwell L, Ahmed A, Mehta S, Obita T, Reed S, Senturias Y, Mittal S, Horstmann S, Demmer L, Dantuluri K, Chadha A, Noonan L, Courtlandt C.Pediatrics. 2026 Feb 5:e2024070035. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-070035. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41638605

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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.

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Ben and Daphna review a randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Pediatrics by Dr. Ariel Salas and colleagues at UAB. The study investigates whether early high-dose vitamin D supplementation (800 IU/day starting day 1) in extremely preterm infants reduces the incidence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) compared to standard care (starting day 14). The hosts discuss the physiologic rationale linking vitamin D to lung development, the use of impulse oscillometry to measure lung mechanics, and the secondary findings regarding metabolic bone disease. They explore why the "physiologic rationale" doesn't always translate to clinical significance.

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Early Vitamin D Supplementation in Infants Born Extremely Preterm and Fed Human Milk: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Salas AA, Argent T, Jeffcoat S, Tucker M, Ashraf AP, Travers CP.J Pediatr. 2025 Dec;287:114754. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114754. Epub 2025 Jul 24.PMID: 40714046 Clinical Trial.

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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.

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In this episode of Journal Club, Ben and Daphna review a retrospective cohort study from Pediatrics examining antibiotic duration for uncomplicated Gram-negative bloodstream infections in the NICU. The study, a collaboration between Nationwide Children’s Hospital and UT Health San Antonio, compares outcomes between short course (≤8 days) and long course (≥9 days) therapy. The hosts discuss the startling finding that while recurrence rates were similar, the long-duration group had a 14% rate of developing multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections within 90 days, compared to 0% in the short-duration group.

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Duration of Antibiotic Therapy for Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Djordjevich CJ, Magers J, Cantey JB, Prusakov P, Sánchez PJ.J Pediatr. 2026 Jan 17:114993. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2026.114993. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41554433 Free article.

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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.

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In this episode of Journal Club, Ben and Daphna review a thought-provoking study from the Archives of Disease in Childhood titled "Chest Compression in Newborn Infants: What Anatomical Structures Are We Compressing?". The hosts explore the anatomical findings suggesting that current neonatal CPR guidelines—recommending compressions over the lower third of the sternum—may actually be targeting the right ventricle and great veins rather than the left ventricle. They discuss the implications for the "cardiac pump" vs. "thoracic pump" theories and what this means for the future of resuscitation guidelines.

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Chest compression in newborn infants: what anatomical structures are we compressing? Chua CT, O'Reilly M, Surak A, Schmölzer GM.Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2026 Jan 16:fetalneonatal-2025-329582. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2025-329582. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41545184

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.

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Dr. Sheri Fink, Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for The New York Times and author of Five Days at Memorial, joins us for a compelling discussion on the ethics of survival. Dr. Fink, an MD-PhD, discusses her recent article "Noah is Still Here," which chronicles one family's journey with Trisomy 18—a condition once universally deemed incompatible with life. She and Eli explore the shifting paradigms of care, the tension between medical prognosis and parental hope, and the "two truths" clinicians must hold when counseling families in the grey zone. A must-listen for anyone navigating complex bioethics in the 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!