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
Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation Lead to Severe Growth Failure in Infants. Annals of Surgery. 2024; 280:432-443.
Infant Feeding and Weight Trajectories in the Eat, Sleep, Console Trial: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA pediatrics. 2024.
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.
Neurobehavioral problems at age 2 years in children with prenatal opioid exposure. Journal of Perinatology. 2024; 44:1146-1151.
Challenges and Opportunities in High-Risk Infant Follow-Up: Progress from the 2022 Networking Session at the Pediatric Academic Societies. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024; 270:113971.
Social distancing and extremely preterm births in the initial COVID-19 pandemic period. Journal of Perinatology. 2024; 44:1050-1057.
Maternal milk in the NICU: An everyday intervention to improve brain development. Pediatric Research. 2024; 96:27-29.
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.
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.
From the Blog
‘Eat, Sleep, Console’ Approach Slashes ICU Stays for Opioid-Exposed Newborns
Stephanie L. Merhar, MD, MS5/1/2023
3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
© 1999-2024 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. All rights reserved.
Patient Ratings and Comments
All patient satisfaction ratings and comments are submitted by actual patients and verified by a leading independent patient satisfaction company, NRC Health. Patient identities are withheld to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Only those providers whose satisfaction surveys are administered through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are displayed. Click here to learn more about our survey