Check out our recommendations for follow-up of kidney health in preterm neonates born less than 34 weeks gestation. They are at risk for kidney disease during childhood and adulthood. urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
NEW & OPEN ACCESS: The Impact of Family Social Identity on Ethical Decision-Making in the NICU with Carey DeMichelis and Uchenna E. Anani in AJOB Empirical Bioethics
US NIH funding rates for investigators seeking research grants dropped sharply in FY25
- early-stage investigators: 26% to 19%
- βEstablishedβ investigators: 27% to 20%
- "at-risk" investigators (risk of losing all funding): 24% to 17%
A rise in the number of applicants contributed to the decline.
The neonatology workforce is undergoing signiο¬cant changes, shaped by evolving work environments and shifting professional demands.
We used survey data from @ameracadpeds.bsky.social PLACES to gain insight into factors driving workforce change.
@aapneonatal.bsky.social @neotecan.bsky.social
Thank you @nicupodcast.bsky.social for this episode examining the critical intersection of immigration policy & neonatal care.
You can find our op-ed here tinyurl.com/ucs5f57h with @neodrswenson.bsky.social & Lelis Vernon
Article linked below @shefali.bsky.social @19thnews.org
Researchers at Cincinnati Childrenβs developed a novel artificial amniotic fluid that supports fetal development, reduces inflammation, and may improve outcomes in fetoscopic surgery.
Read more about this exciting advancement in our Perinatal Institute Impact Report: https://ow.ly/hMa250YatyU
Proud to see Cincinnati Childrenβs Child Health-Law Partnership (Child HeLP) highlighted. By integrating legal support into pediatric care, research shows clinicians can better address social determinants of health and advance equity for children and families.
#PositiveNews: Baby Bryson was safely transported to our Cincinnati Children's NICU yesterday after some creative and compassionate help from our Transport Team and hero snowplow driver, Joe Estes. π The snow never bothered us anyway, because heroes show up no matter the weather!! βοΈππ #GoodNewsFeed
Rotavirus can be lethal.
Before the vaccine, rotavirus killed 500,000 children each year across the world.
Post vaccine it still causes 200,000 deaths per year worldwide. In the United States, childhood deaths from rotavirus range from 20-40 per year.
This child looked like their pH was 6.9
Line graph shows preterm birth rates (%) from 2011-2021, broken down by % of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Three trend lines: '<100% of the FPL', '100%-199% of the FPL', and '>200% of the FPL'.
Between 2011 and 2021, US preterm birth rates increased among households with incomes <200% of the federal poverty level, but remained stable among higher-income households. ja.ma/49iKrfn
JAMA study: "The Role of Vaccination in Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes Associated With COVID-19 in Pregnancy." Figure 1 shows monthly cases from April 2021-December 2022, tracking hospitalization and critical care rates, with a Delta and Omicron phase. Graph shows hospitalization rates decreasing after Dec 2021.
#COVID19 vaccination before or during pregnancy was associated with lower risks of hospitalization, ICU admission, and preterm birth among those infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Canada.
ja.ma/45gaS4e
Map of the USA illustrating 'Emergency Medicaid Spending for Undocumented Immigrants in the US.' States are shaded in colors ranging from light green (1%) to dark blue (2%), representing the emergency Medicaid share of Medicaid spending. JAMA, published online October 9, 2025.
Emergency Medicaid accounts for less than 1% of total #Medicaid spending, even in states with large undocumented populations.
ja.ma/4b6fYng
I'm a neonatologist. This is happening across the country. Moms and babies are being harmed.
My colleague @neodrswenson.bsky.social and I wrote about the impact on premature and sick newborns and their families here:
www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025...
AAP learned this week that seven grants to AAP under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are being terminated. The sudden withdrawal of these funds will directly impact and potentially harm infants, children, youth, and their families.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
The decision by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to downgrade its recommendations to protect infants from hepatitis B is a dangerous move that will harm children.
Click here to read AAP's full statement: bit.ly/3Y9ZQJT
Also this part "the President said he did not know what the MRI was meant to diagnose, nor on what part of his body it had been performed. βI have no idea,β Trump said."
Ask anyone who has had a brain MRI - they 100% remember if their head was inside the machine or not.
Immigration policies are creating impossible choices for NICU families.
Parents are afraid to visit their infants, deterred by anti-immigrant rhetoric and fear of U.S. ICE actions at hospitals.
@neodrswenson.bsky.social and I wrote about this here:
www.cleveland.com/opinion/2025...
Despite advances in medicine & health, the US continues to see poor child health status, increasing child mortality, & child poverty.
Fewer medical school graduates are pursuing a career in pediatrics.
We need:
-pediatric subspecialty loan repayment
-fully funded NIH
-Medicaid and CHIP
amspdc.org
How do we change our systems to better support NICU parents after discharge?
Check out our new perspectives piece www.nature.com/articles/s41... @springernature.com @neoconsortium.bsky.social @emilymillermd.bsky.social @lamiasoghier.bsky.social @neotecan.bsky.social @unmccom.bsky.social
I've wondered how many folks couldn't attend last year and have two years worth of submissions saved up!
Excited to share our qualitative analysis on unconditional cash transfers in the NICU! Cash transfers provided caregivers a sense of relief in the financial/mental stress.
Thankful for an amazing team and support (@policylabchop.bsky.social).
Learn more: www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S187...
OECD Child poverty rate by country βOn average across OECD countries, 12.2% of children live in relative income poverty (Chart CO2.2.A), but rates differ considerably from country to country. In six OECD countries (Chile, Costa Rica, Israel, Spain, TΓΌrkiye and the United States), more than 20% of children live in relative poverty; rates are particularly high, at around 30%, in Costa Rica. In 17 other OECD countries (Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden), however, less than 10% of children live in relative income poverty. In Denmark and Finland, the child relative income poverty rate is only around 4%.β Source: https://webfs.oecd.org/els-com/Family_Database/CO_2_2_Child_Poverty.pdf
Did you know? The US has one of the highest child poverty rates of OECD countries.
The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2%
In the US, itβs over 20%
Itβs partly why many children rely on SNAP
High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.
Additional factors associated with lower rates of nirsevimab receipt in US include:
-Older age (OR 0.60; CI 0.58β0.62)
-Black race (OR 0.53; CI 0.43β0.65)
-Very low Child Opportunity Index (OR 0.70; CI 0.54β0.91)
-Public insurance (OR 0.79; CI 0.67β0.92)
Nirsevimab is available in the US, but there are still gaps that put infants at risk:
1. Sometimes reserved for high risk infants (preterm, NICU) at the delivery hospital.
2. Not available at all pediatric practices.
3. Adults and older kids who are not eligible for mab or vaccination.
Respiratory virus season is starting. RSV cases are increasing. This is the perfect time to get your RSV vaccine if you qualify:
- pregnant, 32 - 36 weeks gestation
- everyone age 75+
- age 50 - 74 w underlying medical conditions
- living in nursing home/longterm care facility
- infants < 8 months
Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. βWithout data, we canβt fix problems,β says @ritahamad.bsky.social
Tomorrow in Cincinnati, community leaders, healthcare professionals, advocates, and changemakers will come together at the #CradlingCincinnati Summit to drive innovation and equity in maternal and infant health.
Bold ideas. Proven strategies. Community-led solutions.
π www.cradlecincinnati.org
Immigration policies are creating impossible choices for NICU families.
Parents are afraid to visit their infants, deterred by anti-immigrant rhetoric and fear of U.S. ICE actions at hospitals.
Ask your legislator to support the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act.
With @neodrswenson.bsky.social
Out of hospital births doubled in SW Ohio over the past 5 years, from 1.5% to 3%.
Changing maternal socio-demographic profiles and risk factors (maternal disease, multiples, prematurity, breech position) may confer increased neonatal risk.
Read more about our study findings at the link below.
Numerous additional benefits found in other studies:
Student Participation, Attendance, Academic Performance, Diet Quality, Food Security, and Body Mass Index:
doi.org/10.3390/nu13...
Childhood Obesity:
doi.org/10.1542/peds...
Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Youth:
doi.org/10.1001/jama...
