#439 - 🔵 [PAS 2026] - Does It Matter How You Close a PDA for Neurodevelopment?

Send us Fan MailDr. Jonathan Flyer, pediatric and fetal cardiologist at the University of Vermont, presents findings from a Vermont Oxford Network analysis of over 11,000 extremely low birth weight infants examining whether the method of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure — transcatheter device versus surgical ligation — makes a difference for neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 to 24 months. The answer: no difference between the two techniques on Bayley-4 cognitive, language, and motor scores. The more sobering finding is that both groups scored well below the normative mean of 100, sitting in the high 70s to low 80s — a reminder of just how much ground this population has to cover. He also makes a case for centering the counseling conversation not on technique but on what each center does best, and what families actually care about most: their child's brain.Support the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: [email protected]. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.Enjoy!