The Incubator

Latest Episodes:

#431 - [Neo News] - 📌 Why Are Freestanding Birth Centers Struggling to Stay Open? Apr 03, 2026

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In this Neo News segment, Ben and Eli tackle a pressing Stateline report on the paradoxical struggle of freestanding birth centers. While hospital labor and delivery units are closing nationwide, alternative birth centers are facing aggressive regulatory hurdles and forced closures in states like Alabama. The hosts discuss the downstream effects on maternal health equity, the rise of unregulated crisis pregnancy centers, and the clinical realities of out-of-hospital births like hyperbilirubinemia and missed newborn screens. Plus, they dive into the EMTALA implications for hospital transfers and highlight key takeaways on neonatal advocacy and teleneonatology from the recent Delphi Conference. Tune in for a critical policy discussion!

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https://stateline.org/2026/01/05/freestanding-birth-centers-are-closing-as-maternity-care-gaps-grow/

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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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#431 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Can Retinal Images Predict BPD and Pulmonary Hypertension? Apr 02, 2026

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In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna explore an exciting new frontier in neonatology: oculomics. Reviewing a recent paper from JAMA Ophthalmology, they discuss how deep learning models applied to routine ROP screening images can predict the development of BPD and pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants. By combining visual features extracted via neural networks with standard demographic data, researchers achieved impressive predictive accuracy weeks before clinical diagnosis is typically made. Tune in to hear how the eyes might just be the window to the neonatal pulmonary vasculature!

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Deep Learning-Based Prediction of Cardiopulmonary Disease in Retinal Images of Premature Infants. Singh P, Kumar S, Tyagi R, Young BK, Jordan BK, Scottoline B, Evers PD, Ostmo S, Coyner AS, Lin WC, Gupta A, Erdogmus D, Chan RVP, McCourt EA, Barry JS, McEvoy CT, Chiang MF, Campbell JP, Kalpathy-Cramer J.JAMA Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan 22:e255814. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2025.5814. Online ahead of print.PMID: 41569552

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#431 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Rethinking the Link Between BPD Grades and Pulmonary Hypertension Apr 01, 2026

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In this episode of Journal Club, Ben and Daphna review a pivotal paper from the Journal of Pediatrics led by the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet). The study explores invasive hemodynamic metrics and long-term outcomes in infants with BPD-associated pulmonary hypertension. Surprisingly, researchers found an almost equal distribution of pulmonary hypertension across mild, moderate, and severe BPD grades using the Jensen criteria. The hosts discuss the implications of these findings, questioning whether our traditional 36-week assessment timepoint is sufficient and if current grading criteria capture the true severity of pulmonary vascular disease in these vulnerable infants.

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Pulmonary Hemodynamics and Long-Term Outcomes in Children with Pulmonary Hypertension-Associated Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Austin ED, Mullen MP, Avitabile CM, Krishnan US, Rosenzweig EB, Keller RL, Kinsella JP, Yung D, Steffes L, Bates A, Elia EG, Romer LH, McGrath-Morrow S, Bernier ML, Mandl KD, Raj JU, Sleeper LA, Abman SH; Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet) Investigators.J Pediatr. 2026 Feb;289:114869. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114869. Epub 2025 Oct 24.

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#431 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Should We Stop Routine Car Seat Testing for Preterm Infants? Mar 31, 2026

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In this Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a systematic review and meta-analysis from JAMA Network Open questioning the clinical value of predischarge car seat tolerance screening (CSTS). Driven by data suggesting that testing does not reduce 30-day mortality or hospital readmissions, they discuss the high failure rates, varying definitions of bradycardia and desaturation, and the unintended consequence of prolonged NICU stays. They also highlight the practical reality of CSTS in ensuring parents actually have an appropriate car seat at discharge. Tune in for a critical look at whether this 1991 AAP recommendation still holds up today!

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Predischarge Car Seat Tolerance Screening in Preterm and At-Risk Full-Term Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. King BC, Dalvie N, Hay S, Jensen EA, Zupancic JAF.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 2;9(2):e2558197. doi:0.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.58197.

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#431 - [Journal Club] - 📌 Prophylactic hydrocortisone to improve BPD-free survival? Mar 30, 2026

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In this Daily Journal Club episode, Ben and Daphna review a massive Swedish national cohort study from JAMA Network Open examining early prophylactic hydrocortisone in extremely preterm infants. They discuss the targeted regimens used, differences in gestational age outcomes, and whether a blanket prophylactic approach is truly effective for preventing BPD. With impressive data covering 98% of all NICU admissions in Sweden, the hosts debate the nuances of targeting 24 to 25-weekers versus older preemies and the potential confounding impact of chorioamnionitis. Tune in for your daily snack of evidence-based medicine and insights into optimizing NICU steroid protocols!

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Early Prophylactic Hydrocortisone and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Free Survival in Extremely Preterm Infants. Smedbäck V, Björklund LJ, Flisberg A, Wróblewska J, Baud O, Wejryd E, Ådén U.JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 2;9(2):e2560146. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.60146.

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#430 - 🏖️ [COOL TOPICS] - Can Early Intervention for Post Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Change the Trajectory for Preterm Brains? (ft. Dr. Kelly Mahaney) Mar 20, 2026

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Dr. Kelly Mahaney, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Stanford and researcher focused on the role of iron in post hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, joins the podcast to challenge the traditional watch and wait approach to IVH complications. She describes Stanford’s early radiographic intervention pathway, which has reduced shunt dependency from 90% to 45% in reservoir-placed infants, explains why waiting for clinical symptoms means waiting too long, and outlines her effort to build a statewide CPQCC nested network to standardize and study early intervention practices across California NICUs.

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#429 - 🏖️ [COOL TOPICS] - Is the Lymphatic System the Circulatory System We Have Been Ignoring in the NICU? (ft. Dr. Sanjay Sinha) Mar 20, 2026

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Dr. Sanjay Sinha, interventional pediatric cardiologist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CHOC and UCI, and Co-Director of the UCLA Congenital Lymphatic Imaging and Intervention Program, opens a new chapter for neonatologists on neonatal chylothorax and lymphatic disease. He explains how to recognize lymphatic mimickers at the bedside, why woody edema should raise the index of suspicion, how MR lymphangiography is reshaping diagnosis and surgical planning, and how early targeted intervention is dramatically reducing NPO time and hospital length of stay in a population that was previously managed with a prolonged watch and wait approach.

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#428 - 🏖️ [COOL TOPICS] - Are Soft Skills Actually the Hardest Skills to Master in Medicine? (ft. Dr. Clara Song) Mar 20, 2026

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Dr. Clara Song, neonatal intensivist with Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Chair of the AAP Section on Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Executive Committee, and founding leader of the Women in Neonatology group, shares the lessons from her Cool Topics talk on quiet power and soft skills in leadership. She explores how communication, emotional intelligence, and servant leadership drive team performance more than technical expertise, breaks down the four personality types every leader needs to understand, and offers a practical framework for structuring communication so every type of team member actually receives the message.

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#427 - 🏖️ [COOL TOPICS] - Are Neonatologists Being Fairly Compensated for the Work They Do? (ft. Dr. Robin Steinhorn) Mar 20, 2026

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Dr. Robin Steinhorn, Professor and Vice Dean for Children’s Clinical Services at UC San Diego and President of Children’s Specialists of San Diego, tackles one of neonatology’s most uncomfortable conversations: compensation. She breaks down how to identify reliable benchmark data, explains why neonatologists are generating more RVUs than ever while pay has not kept pace with workload complexity, addresses gender discrepancy trends in the literature, and offers practical strategies for individuals and division chiefs to use rigorous national data when advocating for fair compensation at the institutional level.

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#426 - 🏖️ [COOL TOPICS] - What Does It Really Take to Build a Medical Home for NICU Graduates? (ft. Dr. Susan Hintz) Mar 19, 2026

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Dr. Susan Hintz, Medical Director of the Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program and Robert L. Hess Family Endowed Professor at Stanford Medicine, delivers this year’s Cool Topics keynote on collaboration, shared purpose, and the lessons learned building high risk infant follow-up infrastructure through the CPQCC. She challenges the neonatal community to move beyond the handoff to a pediatrician and think deliberately about true medical home design, including coordinated care teams, clearly defined roles across subspecialty and follow-up clinics, and better use of community based resources to support families long after NICU discharge.

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