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
Motivations for and against Participation in Neonatal Research: Insights from Interviews of Diverse Parents Approached for Neonatal Research in the United States. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024; 275:113923.
Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and risk for cognitive delays in infants born very premature. Scientific Reports. 2024; 14:1397.
Host factors are associated with vaginal microbiome structure in pregnancy in the ECHO Cohort Consortium. Scientific Reports. 2024; 14:11798.
The HYdrocortisone for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Respiratory and Developmental (HYBRiD) outcomes study: protocol for a longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pediatrics. 2024; 24:737.
Infant Feeding and Weight Trajectories in the Eat, Sleep, Console Trial: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA pediatrics. 2024; 178:976-984.
Infant and early childhood physical health assessments in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 2024; 69:101414.
Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation Lead to Severe Growth Failure in Infants. Annals of Surgery. 2024; 280:432-443.
Developmental characteristics and accuracy of autism screening among two-year-old toddlers in the ECHO program. Pediatric Research. 2024; 96:1052-1061.
Examining the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and child autism traits: A multi-cohort investigation in the environmental influences on child health outcome program. Autism Research: official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. 2024; 17:1651-1664.
Association of Growth During Infancy with Neurodevelopment and Obesity in Children Born Very Preterm: The Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024; 271:114050.
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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