Background

Dr. María Victoria Fraga is an attending neonatologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Haresh Kirpalani, BM, MRCP, FRCP, MSc, Dr. Fraga trained in neonatal functional echocardiography with Dr. Nicholas Evans in Sydney, Australia and subsequently developed the Neonatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program in the Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she currently trains attending neonatologists and neonatal fellows in diagnostic and procedural bedside ultrasound applications. She is especially interested in the bedside assessment of neonatal cardiac hemodynamics to serve as an impetus for innovative research and to benefit and improve patient care.

She is also a neonatal consultant for the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT) as well as a member of the ECMO Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and is directly involved in the clinical education of residents and fellows at CHOP.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of Buenos Aires Medical School, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Residency

Pediatrics - Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires “Ricardo Gutierrez,” Buenos Aires, Argentina
Pediatrics - Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship

National Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires “Juan P. Garrahan,” Buenos Aires, Argentina
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Board Certification

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Physician, Neonatology

Medical Director, Neonatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Research Interests

Neonatal hemodynamics
Pulmonary hypertension in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Neonatal point-of-care ultrasound 

Publications

Papers

2022

Conlon TW, Yousef N, Mayordomo-Colunga J, Tissot C, Fraga MV, Bhombal S, Suryawanshi P, Villanueva AM, Siassi B, Singh Y. Establishing a risk assessment framework for point-of-care ultrasound. Eur J Pediatr. 2022 Apr;181(4):1449-1457. doi: 10.1007/s00431-021-04324-4. Epub 2021 Nov 30. PMID: 34846557; PMCID: PMC8964607.

Kozyak BW, Fraga MV, Juliano CE, Bhombal S, Munson DA, Brandsma E, Stoller JZ, Jain A, Kesman R, Meshkati M, Noh CY, Dewitt AG, Costarino AT, Hehir DA, Groves AM. Real-Time Ultrasound Guidance for Umbilical Venous Cannulation in Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2022 May 1;23(5):e257-e266. doi: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000002919. Epub 2022 Mar 7. PMID: 35250003.

Elsayed Y, Wahab MGA, Mohamed A, Fadel NB, Bhombal S, Yousef N, Fraga MV, Afifi J, Suryawanshi P, Hyderi A, Katheria A, Kluckow M, De Luca D, Singh Y. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol for systematic assessment of the crashing neonate-expert consensus statement of the international crashing neonate working group. Eur J Pediatr. 2022 Oct 14. doi: 10.1007/s00431-022-04636-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36239816.

Rahde Bischoff A, Bhombal S, Altman CA, Fraga MV, Punn R, Rohatgi RK, Lopez L, McNamara PJ. Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography in Patients With Hemodynamic Instability. Pediatrics. 2022 Nov 1;150(Suppl 2):e2022056415I. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-056415I. PMID: 36317979.

Stewart DL, Elsayed Y, Fraga MV, Coley BD, Annam A, Sarvis Milla S, AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn and Section on Radiology. Technical Report: Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in the NICU for Diagnostic and Procedural Purposes. Pediatrics. 2022 Dec 150;6:e2022060053.

Kozyak BW, Fraga MV, Juliano CE, Bhombal S, Munson DA, Brandsma E, Stoller JZ, Jain A, Kesman R, Meshkati M, Noh CY, Dewitt AG, Costarino AT, Hehir DA, Groves AM: Real-time Ultrasound Guidance for Umbilical Venous Cannulation in Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 2022 Notes: Accepted.

2021

Pawlowski TW, Stoller JZ, Rintoul NE, Hedrick HL, Quartermain MD, Fraga MV: Point-of-care Ultrasound for the Evaluation of Venous Cannula Position in Neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. Journal of Perinatology 41(7): 1645-1650, 2021.

Stoller JZ, Fraga MV: Real-time ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture in the neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Perinatology 41(10): 2495-2498, 2021.

2019

Miller LE, Stoller JZ, Fraga MV. Point-of-care ultrasound in the neonatal ICU. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2019 Dec 13. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000000863. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31851056

Fraga MV, Stoller JZ, Glau CL, De Luca D, Rempell RG, Wengler JL, Yek Kee C, Muhly WT, Boretsky K, Conlon TW: Seeing Is Believing: Ultrasound in Pediatric Procedural Performance. Pediatrics.   (eds.). American Academy of Pediatrics, 144(5): online, October 2019 Notes: DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-1401. Published online October 15, 2019.

Conlon TW, Nishisaki A, Singh Y, Bhombal S, De Luca D, Kessler DO, Su ER, Chen AE, Fraga MV: Moving Beyond the Stethoscope: Diagnostic Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics Page: online, September 2019 Notes: DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-1402. Published online September 3, 2019.

Foglia EE, Ades A, Hedrick HL, Rintoul N, Munson DA, Moldenhauer J, Gebb J, Serletti B, Chaudhary A, Weinberg DD, Napolitano N, Fraga MV, Ratcliffe SJ: Initiating resuscitation before umbilical cord clamping in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a pilot feasibility trial. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition Page: online, August  2019 Notes: DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2019-317477. Published online August 28, 2019.

Avitabile CM, Ansems S, Wang Y, Fraga MV, Kirpalani HM, Zhang H, Mercer-Rosa L, Jensen EA: Accuracy of Brain Natriuretic Peptide for Diagnosing Pulmonary Hypertension in Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Neonatology 116(2): 147-153, August 2019 Notes: DOI: 10.1159/000499082. Published online May 16, 2019.

Fraga MV, Dysart KC, Rintoul N, Chaudhary AS, Ratcliffe SJ, Fedec A, Kren S, Cohen MS, Kirpalani H. Cardiac Output Measurement Using the Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor: A Validation Study in Newborn Infants. Neonatology. 2019 Jul 19:1-9. doi: 10.1159/000501005. [Epub ahead of print]

Ansems SM, Kirpalani H, Mercer-Rosa L, Wang Y, Hopper RK, Fraga MV, Jensen EA. Patent Ductus Arteriosus and the Effects of Its Late Closure in Preterm Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Neonatology. 2019 Jul 3:1-8. doi: 10.1159/000500269. [Epub ahead of print]

Gaulton JS, Mercer-Rosa LM, Glatz AC, Jensen EA, Capone V, Scott C, Appel SM, Stoller JZ, Fraga MV: Relationship between pulmonary artery acceleration time and pulmonary artery pressures in infants. Echocardiography 36(8): 1524-1531, August 2019 Notes: DOI: 10.1111/echo.14430. Published online July 1, 2019.

2018

Fraga MV, Laje P, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS: The influence of gestational age, delivery mode, and abdominal wall closure method in neonates with uncomplicated gastroschisis.  Pediatr Surg Int 34:415-9, 2018.

Fraga MV, Giaccone A, Adzick NS. Respiratory morbidities in late preterm and term infants with myelomeningocele. J Perinatol. 2018 Aug 30;. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 30166620

Laje P, Fraga MV, Peranteau WH, Hedrick HL, Khalek N, Gebb JS, Moldenhauer JS, Johnson MP, Flake AW, Adzick NS. Complex gastroschisis: Clinical spectrum and neonatal outcomes at a referral center. J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Mar 14;. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29628208 

2013

Maxwell LG, Malavolta CP, Fraga MV. Assessment of pain in the neonate. Clin Perinatol. 2013 Sep;40(3):457-69. Read the abstract

Books

Chapters

2013

Maxwell LG, Malavolta CP, Fraga MV: Assessment of Pain in the Neonate. Clinics of Perinatology. W.B. Saunders Company (eds.). 40(3): 457-469, September 2013.

2012

Fraga MV, Guttentag SH.: Developmental Physiology of the Respiratory System. Gregory’s Pediatric Anesthesia. 5th edition. Gregory GA, Andropoulos DB (eds.). Wiley-Blackwell 2012.

2011

Fraga MV, Hedrick H, Connelly J, Rintoul N.: Special Considerations for Neonatal ECMO. Imaging of the Newborn. 2nd edition. Kirpalani H, Epelman M (eds.). 2011.

Fraga MV, Guttentag SH.: Lung Development: Embryology, Growth, Maturation and Developmental Biology. Avery’s Diseases of the Newborn. 9th edition. Taeusch HW, Ballard RA, Gleason CA (eds.). Elsevier Saunders, 2011. 

Posters and Presentations

2013

Fraga, MV, Giaccone A.: Respiratory Morbidity in Infants with Myelomeningocele. Poster Presentation: Society for Pediatric Research, Washington, DC May 2013.

Fraga, MV, Giaccone A.: Respiratory Morbidity in Infants with Myelomeningocele. Poster Presentation: Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2013. 

2011

Fraga, MV, Perry B, Zhang P, Guttentag SH.: In Vivo Expression of Pepsinogen C in a Gene Trap Mouse Model. Poster Presentation: Society for Pediatric Research, Denver, CO May 2011.

Fraga, MV, Perry B, Zhang P, Guttentag SH.: Developmental Expression of Pepsinogen C in a Gene Trap Mouse Model. Society for Pediatric Research, Denver, CO May 2011.

Fraga, MV, Perry B, Zhang P, Guttentag SH.: In Vivo Expression of Pepsinogen C in a Gene Trap Mouse Model. Platform Presentation: Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA March 2011.