Lurie Children’s Neonatologists Share Expertise at Children’s Hospitals Neonatal Consortium Symposium

In November, Lurie Children’s was the host sponsor of the Children’s Hospitals Neonatal Consortium (CHNC) Annual Symposium in Denver, which was the largest CHNC conference to date, with approximately 580 participants from over 60 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the symposium, neonatologists from Lurie Children’s shared their expertise on some of the most pressing topics in neonatal care today.

Dr. Natalia Henner, one of the keynote speakers, discussed the ethical and practical considerations in neonatal critical care in the post-Dobbs-rule era.

Dr. Karna Murthy, Chair of CHNC, presented work on risk-adjusted metrics for neonates with rare diseases, including diaphragmatic hernia and gastroschisis. 

Drs. Malika Shah and Gustave Falciglia led a workshop on how clinical questions encountered by busy neonatologists at the bedside can lead to insightful retrospective research studies.

Dr. Megan Lagoski lectured in one workshop on the current state of mental health support and screening for mood disorders in NICUs within the CHNC. In the workshop on communication strategies in severe BPD, she co-led the discussion on shifting mindset to chronic care and aligning expectations prior to and after admission. In another workshop, Dr. Lagoski lectured on BPD respiratory mechanics and implications for chronic phase ventilation.

Dr. Jessica Fry contributed to the workshops on prenatal counseling and approach to families considering fetal intervention; the development of a Family Partnership Counsel in the NICU and NICU Follow-up Clinic; and strategies for navigating uncertainty in clinical care.

Drs. Melanie Wielecka, Kristina Thompsen, and Lucy Rubin presented their fellowship research projects on various new insights and topics related to infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.