Key Findings for “Survive and Thrive: Transforming Care for Every Small and Sick Newborn” report
I was privileged to be part of a small group developing the Key Findings summary of the Survive and Thrive: Transforming Care for Every Small and Sick Newborn report (which will be released in 2019). This report is a huge team effort by many stakeholders and agencies across continents. Please access a PDF version of […]
Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition
This article was published on Dec 18, 2017 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. My coauthors were Dr. Constance A. Gewa, Dr. Maction K. Komwa, and Dr. Lisa Pawloski. A full PDF version of this article can be obtained here. —————————————- ABSTRACT Evidence suggests that household inequalities contribute to food insecurity and nutrient […]
Family Participation in the Care of the Inpatient Newborn
I co-authored this technical brief with Judith Robb-McCord and Jim Litch of USAID’s Every Preemie–SCALE program. It was peer reviewed by a 13 newborn health experts spread out over four continents. A PDF of the English version can be accessed here.
Quiet heroes: Caregivers of children with disabilities face big pressures, rewards
This article was published in health section of The San Diego Union-Tribune on March 19, 2019. Quiet heroes: Caregivers of children with disabilities face big pressures, rewards When Leslie Born’s first child was born in September 2014, the medical team quickly realized something wasn’t right. Her newborn son had low muscle tone, feeding challenges and […]
Modern snake oil: FDA cracks down on dietary supplement companies’ fraudulent Alzheimer’s claims
This story was published in The San Diego Union-Tribune on May 21, 2019. Most nights for the past 38 years, married couple Bart and Karen Newsom have watched “Wheel of Fortune.” Recently, Bart has become agitated by one of the advertisements. “There is a commercial that bugs me,” he said. “It’s a supplement, and they […]
California Health Report–“Why Some Preemies Thrive and Others Struggle Remains a Mystery”
This article was published by California Health Report on May 29, 2019. Four-year-olds Madeline Guidi and Owen Abrams have much in common. They both live in desirable neighborhoods in San Diego County, just minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Both are the only children in two-parent, middle-class households. And they were both born just a few […]
On Parenting Article in The Washington Post
This piece was published in The Washington Post in the On Parenting section on January 9, 2019. Click here to see the original article. Parents of special-needs kids assume they’re less desirable employees. They’re wrong. Two years ago, I was six months pregnant with identical twins and working at a job in health communications that I loved. […]
Washington Post: Neonatal ICUs can take a toll on parents
This piece was published in the Health & Science section of The Washington Post on February 23, 2019.
Low Platelet Count (Thrombocytopenia)
This low platelet count article, written for public consumption, was published by Healthline on March 31, 2021.
Why Forecasting Will Be a Game Changer for Allergy Sufferers
This post was published on Sickweather’s blog on April 5, 2018. ———————————- Written by Amialya (Mia) Durairaj, MSc Oh, seasonal allergies. I’ve always assumed that my annual sneezing and eye-itching were an inevitable part of life. Sort of like how 90% of people make a weird face the precise moment that they get their license […]
Why working parents of special needs kids were uniquely positioned to survive this new normal
By AMIALYA DURAIRAJ & DAVID WHITING Somehow, we are making it work during COVID-19. Or, at the very least, making do. Hours of corresponding with the school, only to be responsible for keeping your child on track. The double shift of balancing full-time work with caregiving hours at home and no option for a babysitter. Making […]
7 Ways to Help Preemie Parents Become Their Baby’s Best Advocate
This blog post was first published on November 13, 2017 on the Healthy Newborn Network. The piece was republished on Yahoo Life and The Mighty on Dec 1, 2017. —————————————————————————————————————————————– 7 Ways Healthcare Professionals Can Help Preemie Parents Become Their Baby’s Best Advocate By Amialya (Mia) Durairaj “Would you like to change your daughter’s diaper?” […]
Camel Meat: From the Australian Outback to the American Midwest
This article was published on Food Tank on May 14, 2018. Americans settlers have a long history bringing their favorite foods with them when they emigrate. Wheat, cattle, and pork, for example, were all imported into the United States from Europe. Now, a small group of Somali Americans are continuing that tradition by introducing camel […]
Diabetes is on the Rise in India: Is Fast Food to Blame?
This article was published on Food Tank on June 5, 2018. Did Westerners import Type-2 diabetes to India along with burgers and fries? Over the past 40 years, the incidence of diabetes in India has increased dramatically. For example,in the early 1970s, roughly 3 percent of the urban population was diabetic. In a 2017 study of 15 states […]
Mia Durairaj 