Katherine Bell, MD

Physician in Medicine, Division of Newborn Medicine
Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
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Katherine Bell, MD

Physician in Medicine, Division of Newborn Medicine
Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Medical Services

Languages
English
Education
Undergraduate School
Dartmouth College
2006
Hanover
NH
Medical School
University of California, San Diego
2010
San Diego
CA
Internship
Children's Hospital Oakland
2011
Oakland
CA
Residency
Pediatrics
Children's Hospital Oakland
2013
Oakland
CA
Fellowship
Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Training Program
2017
Boston
MA
Certifications
American Board of Pediatrics (General)
American Board of Pediatrics (Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine)
Professional History

Dr. Katherine Bell obtained her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. She then completed her clinical residency training in pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland where she also served as Chief Resident. She then continued her training in the Harvard Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship program, where she served as Chief Fellow.Dr. Bell has a particular interest in how the nutrition and growth of premature infants impacts long-term health outcomes. Her current clinical research focuses on neonatal body composition—the relative contributions of fat and lean mass to an infant’s weight—and its role in assessment of nutritional status and prediction of long-term outcomes.

Approach to Care
In the Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) our philosophy is to ensure that every patient receives the best care for the best possible outcomes. We consider our “patient” to be the baby and the family; we are constantly striving to serve the needs of both. This requires a team based approach with all members being essential. I am privileged to care for infants and families during what can be one of the most stressful periods of their lives - the birth of a premature or ill infant. I am thrilled to work as part of the amazing team of physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, dieticians and other team members in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), to help families navigate this stressful period and to stand by their side as their children make the journey to healthy, thriving infants.

Publications

Growth trajectories and need for oral feeding support among infants with neonatal encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia. View Abstract
Human Milk Oligosaccharides, Growth, and Body Composition in Very Preterm Infants. View Abstract
Lactoferrin intake from maternal milk during the neonatal hospitalization and early brain development among preterm infants. View Abstract
Proceedings of the 15th International Newborn Brain Conference: Fetal and/or neonatal brain development, both normal and abnormal. View Abstract
ECI Biocommentary: Katherine Bell. View Abstract
Novel metrics to characterize temporal lobe of very preterm infants on term-equivalent brain MRI. View Abstract
Body composition measurement for the preterm neonate: using a clinical utility framework to translate research tools into clinical care. View Abstract
Association of early cerebral oxygen saturation and brain injury in extremely preterm infants. View Abstract
Associations of Macronutrient Intake Determined by Point-of-Care Human Milk Analysis with Brain Development among very Preterm Infants. View Abstract
Associations of body composition with regional brain volumes and white matter microstructure in very preterm infants. View Abstract
A quality improvement initiative to reduce acid-suppressing medication exposure in the NICU. View Abstract
Prenatal duct closure leading to severe pulmonary hypertension in a preterm neonate-a case report. View Abstract
Growth and Clinical Outcomes of Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants Receiving Acidified vs Nonacidified Liquid Human Milk Fortifiers. View Abstract
Macronutrient Intake from Human Milk, Infant Growth, and Body Composition at Term Equivalent Age: A Longitudinal Study of Hospitalized Very Preterm Infants. View Abstract
Association of Poor Postnatal Growth with Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Infancy and Childhood: Comparing the Fetus and the Healthy Preterm Infant References. View Abstract
Associations of Growth and Body Composition with Brain Size in Preterm Infants. View Abstract
Validity of Body Mass Index as a Measure of Adiposity in Infancy. View Abstract
Implementation of a Guideline to Decrease Use of Acid-Suppressing Medications in the NICU. View Abstract
Associations of infant feeding with trajectories of body composition and growth. View Abstract