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
- [email protected]
- 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
Interests
Follow-up outcomes; advanced neuroimaging to predict outcomes in infants with brain injury and prenatal substance exposure
Research Areas
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
Extended Caffeine for Apnea in Moderately Preterm Infants: The MoCHA Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 2025; 333.
Neurobehavioral Profiles in Opioid-Exposed and Unexposed Neonates. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2025; 281:114527.
Trends in sex differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes among extremely preterm infants. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition. 2025; 110:269-278.
Lessons Learned in Virtual Launch of an Antenatal Opioid Exposure Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nursing Research. 2025; 74:218-224.
Antenatal Opioid Exposure and Global and Regional Brain Volumes in Newborns. JAMA pediatrics. 2025; 179.
Whole-Body Hypothermia for Neonatal Encephalopathy in Preterm Infants 33 to 35 Weeks' Gestation: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA pediatrics. 2025; 179:396-406.
The Relationship Between Hispanic Ethnicity and Outcomes for Infants Born Extremely Preterm. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2025; 279:114474.
NICHD Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Score in Term Infants With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA pediatrics. 2025; 179:383-395.
Supplementing Consent for a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study of Infants With Antenatal Opioid Exposure: Development and Assessment of a Digital Tool. JMIR Formative Research. 2025; 9:e59954.
Integration of Peer Navigators Into Longitudinal Research. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing. 2025; 54:164-169.
From the Blog
Newborn Brains Are Smaller When Exposed to Opioids During Gestation
Stephanie L. Merhar, MD, MS4/10/2025
‘Eat, Sleep, Console’ Approach Slashes ICU Stays for Opioid-Exposed Newborns
Stephanie L. Merhar, MD, MS5/1/2023
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