The Incubator

Send us a textIn this episode of Neo News, journalist and New York Times critic-at-large Amanda Hess joins host Dr. Eli Cahan to revisit the story behind her viral essay, “My Son Has a Rare Syndrome, So I Turned to the Internet.” Amanda shares the disorienting experience of receiving her son’s diagnosis of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome during a routine third-trimester ultrasound and the digital spiral that followed.As a new parent navigating the NICU and early medical complexities, she reflects on the paradox of modern care: how high-tech diagnostics coexist with emotional disconnection—and how often the only available companion is the search bar. The conversation explores the reality of caregiving with limited context, the emotional fallout of confronting diagnosis alone, and the unpredictable role of the internet and social media in shaping parental perception.Drawing from her upcoming book Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age, Amanda brings a clear-eyed perspective on the information gaps, algorithmic noise, and the human need for clarity when the stakes are impossibly high.Listen in for a raw and thoughtful look at what happens between the scan, the screen, and the real child in your arms. Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this episode of At the Bench, Drs. Misty Good and Betsy Crouch welcome Dr. Amélie Collins, an R01-funded neonatologist and associate professor at Cincinnati Children’s. A classically trained immunologist turned hematopoietic stem cell biologist, Dr. Collins shares her journey from philosophy major at the University of Chicago to leading a research program focused on fetal myelopoiesis in the context of maternal inflammation.She discusses her training path through MD/PhD at NYU, her formative time in the labs of Dan Littman and Emmanuelle Passegué, and the critical mentorship moments that shaped her career. Dr. Collins offers an honest look at the challenges and joys of long training, pivoting research directions, and starting an independent lab. She reflects on the intersection of science and clinical care, grant writing as a creative exercise, and the importance of celebrating effort and submission, not just success.We also dive into her Cell paper on the extrinsic regulation of emergency myelopoiesis in the fetus, the role of maternal IL-10, and how her lab is exploring how hematopoietic stem cells mature and retain memory of early-life exposures.Dr. Collins leaves listeners with powerful advice: “Do it because you love it. This career demands a lot, including your time, energy, and weekends. But if you love it, it’s worth it.”Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this episode, we speak with neonatal nurse scientists Dr. Marliese Nist and Dr. Kathy Dudding to explore the evolving understanding of neonatal pain and stress in the NICU. Together, we look at how outdated assumptions about infant pain still influence clinical care, and what providers can do to better recognize and respond to the signs of stress in fragile newborns.Our guests discuss how even routine care can be a source of stress for preterm infants, and why thoughtful, individualized approaches—such as comfort touch and parental involvement—can make a meaningful difference. They also highlight the lack of standardization in pain protocols across NICUs and the limitations of existing assessment tools.This conversation offers practical takeaways for clinicians at the bedside and makes the case for system-wide change in how we approach pain management and developmental care. The episode is part of our collaboration with the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), and underscores the vital role of interdisciplinary teamwork in improving neonatal outcomes. Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Erin Von Klien, who is now a third year Neonatology fellow at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital/Vanderbilt University, Nashville. Erin described her research project on exploring association between caregiver employment decisions and having a preterm infant. Erin describes her project which was also recently published in JAMA pediatrics (Preterm Birth and Caregiver Employment Decisions | Reproductive Health | JAMA Pediatrics | JAMA Network) where she investigated the impact of prematurity in parental employment decisions. She describes how she got interested in this impactful topic and how she found her mentor. She is a 2024 recipient of the AAP Marshall Klaus Award in Health Services Research and a participant in the Vanderbilt Patient/ Practice Outcomes Research in Effectiveness and Systems Science (PROgRESS) T32 Program. In this episode she describes her experience in grant writing and winning the AAP Marshall Klaus award. She also provides valuable advice to incoming fellows who are interested in the physician scientist pathway in health services research. Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this episode, Leah and Ashley O'Neil discuss the profound experiences of navigating the NICU as both a parent and a medical professional. Ashley shares her journey with her son Colin, who was born prematurely, and the emotional and practical challenges she faced. The conversation explores themes of grief, the balance between professional knowledge and parental instincts, and the importance of communication with medical teams. Ashley also highlights the need for resources to support NICU families, including her upcoming journal designed to help parents navigate their NICU experience. In this conversation, Ashley O'Neil shares her experiences as a mother navigating the complexities of having a child in the NICU and dealing with the challenges of medical systems. She discusses the importance of advocacy for children's needs, the emotional journey of grief after losing loved ones, and how she finds hope and purpose in her son's resilience. The conversation emphasizes the need for community support and the ongoing battle against systemic failures in healthcare.Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this special “advocacy roundup” episode, Dr. Shetal Shah and Stephanie Glier return to break down the latest developments in federal healthcare policy and their real-world consequences for neonatologists and the families they serve. With sweeping budget legislation threatening to cut Medicaid funding by nearly 10%, they explain how these changes could destabilize the financial foundations of neonatal care, reduce access to critical services, and deepen existing health disparities. From threats to NICU funding and children’s hospitals to the ripple effects of limiting postpartum and parental coverage, they connect the dots between Washington decisions and bedside realities. Listeners also get a pragmatic guide on how clinicians—without needing to be policy experts—can engage effectively with lawmakers to protect Medicaid’s role in children’s healthcare. If you work in neonatal care or advocate for health equity, this is an essential listen that explains what’s on the line and what you can do about it—now. Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this episode, Tasmin Bota shares her  journey as a mother of a premature baby and the founder of Preemie Connect. Tasmin shares about her traumatic birth experience, the challenges faced in the NICU, and the lack of emotional support for parents of premature infants. Tasmin also highlights the motivation behind creating Preemie Connect as a way to fill the gap in support and resources for families dealing with prematurity. The conversation also touches on the current initiatives of Preemie Connect and the ongoing fight for better emotional care in neonatal units. The discussion also highlights the importance of community support, the impact of language used by healthcare providers, and the systemic issues that affect preemie care in South Africa. Tasmin also outlines her vision for the future of Preemie Connect and the necessary policy changes to improve outcomes for preemie families.Link to episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/aFE9vF4NbVoResources mentioned in episode: https://preemieconnect.my.canva.site/Contact:   Preemie Connect Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preemieconnect/#Preemie Connect Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preemieconnectPreemie Connect Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/preemieconnectPreemie Connect TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@preemieconnectSupport the showAs 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!

Send us a textIn this week’s Journal Club, Ben and Daphna dive into the latest report from the American Academy of Pediatrics on the management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. They dissect the nuances of prophylactic versus selective treatment, review recent meta-analyses, and explore why early intervention might not yield better outcomes despite effective PDA closure. They also break down new echocardiographic criteria for diagnosing a hemodynamically significant PDA and discuss the role of transcatheter procedures.The conversation then shifts to MRI timing and classification in neonatal encephalopathy, highlighting recent Canadian consensus recommendations for standardizing imaging protocols post-therapeutic hypothermia. The episode wraps up with a look at the TOHOP trial on permissive hypotension, challenging long-standing blood pressure treatment thresholds in preterm infants.Listeners will gain a pragmatic view of evolving clinical practices and research gaps in neonatal care, particularly for infants with PDA and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. If you’re looking to stay current on evidence-based recommendations without the fluff, this episode is for you. Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textShifting outlooks after neonatal encephalopathy in the era of therapeutic hypothermia.Christoffel K, Mulkey SB.Pediatr Res. 2025 Jun 4. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04156-0. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40467976 Review.Support the showAs 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!

Send us a textActive Treatment vs Expectant Management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis.Buvaneswarran S, Wong YL, Liang S, Quek SC, Lee J.JAMA Pediatr. 2025 May 27:e251025. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1025. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40423988 Free PMC Support the showAs 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!