Clinical Focus


  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Academic Appointments


Professional Education


  • Medical Education: Sidney Kimmel Medical College Thomas Jefferson University (2011) PA
  • Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (2018)
  • Residency: Baylor College of Medicine (2014) TX
  • Fellowship: Johns Hopkins Hospital Surgery Residency (2017) MD
  • Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatrics (2014)

All Publications


  • Increasing early exposure to mother's own milk in premature newborns. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association Balasundaram, M., Land, R., Miller, S., Profit, J., Porter, M., Arnold, C., Sivakumar, D. 2022

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: Increase the proportion of ≤33 weeks newborns exposed to mother's own milk (MOM) oral care by 12h of age by 20% over 2 years to support a healthier microbiome.STUDY DESIGN: We implemented interventions to support early expression of colostrum and reliable delivery of resultant MOM to premature newborns. Statistical process control charts were used to track progress and provide feedback to staff. Proportions of newborns exposed to MOM by 12h were compared relative to baseline.RESULTS: There were 46, 66, and 46 newborns in the baseline, implementation, and sustainability periods, respectively. The primary outcome improved from 48% to 61% in the implementation period (relative change 1.27, 95% CI 0.89, 1.81, p=0.2), to 69% in sustainability period (relative to baseline 1.45, 95% CI 1.02, 2.08, p=0.03).CONCLUSION: An interdisciplinary team-based, multicycle, quality improvement intervention resulted in increased rates of early exposure to MOM.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41372-022-01376-8

    View details for PubMedID 35396577