The Future of Neonatal Care in a Drop of Spit

Caring for infants can be difficult for one, very obvious reason: they can’t talk. Sometimes drawing blood or preventatively prescribing antibiotics are the only courses of action for pediatricians looking to fend off a possible infection among their youngest and most vulnerable patients. Wouldn’t it be easier if pediatricians could diagnose and accurately treat infants based on a drop of their saliva, instead? This week’s guest expert, Dr. Jill Maron, may have the answer to that question. Dr. Jill Maron is the chief of pediatrics at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI; vice-chair of pediatric research at Tufts Medical Center; and executive director of Mother Infant Research Institute. Dr. Maron is at the forefront of research on the clinical use of non-invasive saliva assays. How may this research open the door to personalized preventative healthcare for infants? What are the ethical considerations around medical advancements like this one? Download this week’s episode to find out.