Stephanie L. Merhar, MD, MS
- Attending Neonatologist, Perinatal Institute, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology
- Research Director, NICU Follow Up Clinic
- Principal Investigator, Cincinnati site, NICHD Neonatal Research Network
- Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
- stephanie.merhar@cchmc.org
- Board Certified
About
Biography
Since I was 12 years old, I knew that I wanted to be a pediatrician. What could be better than being a doctor who gets to work with kids? During my pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s, I was drawn to neonatology because it offered me the opportunity to care for acutely ill babies and build long-term relationships with families through the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) follow-up clinic.
As a neonatologist who cares for sick and preterm babies, I have a special interest in babies with brain injury and those exposed to substances such as opioids.
In my practice, I listen carefully to families. I know that I don't have all of the answers and that parents know their child best. In the NICU and our follow-up clinic, we collaborate with families and other care providers, such as neurologists, pulmonologists, therapists, nutritionists and nurses.
The research I do focuses on how the newborn brain can bounce back from insults including brain injury and substance exposure. I am also interested in using MRI as a tool to predict and improve the outcomes of term and preterm babies with brain injury. I am honored every time someone is interested in the research my team is doing.
MD: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2005.
Residency: Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2005-2008.
Fellowship: Neonatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2008-2011.
Certification: Pediatrics, 2008; Neonatal / Perinatal Medicine, 2011.
Interests
Infants with perinatal brain injury; neonatal follow up.
Services and Specialties
Newborn Intensive Care NICU, Perinatal, Fetal Care, Neonatology
Interests
Follow-up outcomes; advanced neuroimaging to predict outcomes in infants with brain injury and prenatal substance exposure
Research Areas
Neonatology
Additional Languages
French
Insurance Information
Cincinnati Children's strives to accept a wide variety of health plans. Please contact your health insurance carrier to verify coverage for your specific benefit plan.
Publications
Influence of Eat, Sleep, and Console on Infants Pharmacologically Treated for Opioid Withdrawal: A Post Hoc Subgroup Analysis of the ESC-NOW Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatrics. 2024; 178:525-532.
Association of maternal pre-pregnancy or first trimester body mass index with neurodevelopmental impairment or death in extremely low gestational age neonates. Journal of Perinatology. 2024; 44:802-810.
Timing of Red Blood Cell Transfusions and Occurrence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2024; 7:e249643.
Social Determinants of Health and Redirection of Care for Infants Born Extremely Preterm. JAMA Pediatrics. 2024; 178:454-464.
Birth outcomes in relation to neighborhood food access and individual food insecurity during pregnancy in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)-wide cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2024; 119:1216-1226.
Perinatal Outcomes during versus Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Maternal Depression and Perceived Stress: A Report from the ECHO Program. American Journal of Perinatology: neonatal and maternal-fetal medicine. 2024; 41:e1404-e1420.
Evolution of the Sarnat exam and association with 2-year outcomes in infants with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy: a secondary analysis of the HEAL Trial. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2024; 109:308-316.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Predict Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Infants after Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury. American Journal of Perinatology: neonatal and maternal-fetal medicine. 2024; 41:e1740-e1746.
Psychological distress among postpartum women who took opioids during pregnancy: the role of perceived stigma in healthcare settings. Archives of Women's Mental Health. 2024; 27:275-283.
Prenatal Opioid Exposure and Risk for Adverse Brain and Motor Outcomes in Infants Born Premature. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024; 267:113908.
From the Blog
‘Eat, Sleep, Console’ Approach Slashes ICU Stays for Opioid-Exposed Newborns
Stephanie L. Merhar, MD, MS5/1/2023
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