Thomas Hegyi, MD

I was a tenured, presently Emeritus, Professor of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University. I have practiced pediatrics, specializing in high-risk newborn care and researching newborn health, throughout my career. I was co-Director of the Division of Neonatology of the Department of Pediatrics of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for over two decades. My research interests include morbidities of the premature infant (particularly intraventricular hemorrhage, apnea, and pulmonary issues), neonatal jaundice, late preterm birth, and SIDS. I have published numerous manuscripts in each of these areas and have secured external funding support for much of this research. My clinical activities aligned with these research interests, as I served as Co-Director of the High-Risk Infant Follow-up and Infant Apnea programs within the Division of Neonatology, and I am presently the Medical Director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey. Some of my most recent research focuses on the role of unbound bilirubin in high-risk populations and whether this measure can be used to improve our understanding of neonatal jaundice, preventive approaches to kernicterus, and the treatment of pathologic hyperbilirubinemia in developing countries, where this condition is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Specific to this application, I have substantial expertise in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which I have proposed is related to hypoxia in preterm infants; I have observed and investigated this condition over many decades; and I lecture extensively on the topics of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. For the proposed comprehensive project, I will provide overall supervision through my medical expertise and by linking neonatal risk factors to outcomes.

A. Undergraduate
Columbia University, New York, NY A.B. 1965-1969
B. Graduate
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY M.D. 1969-1972
C. Professional
Association of Clinical Research Professionals CPI 2009
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING:
A. Internship and Residency
Intern (PL-1)
Department of Pediatrics, Bronx Municipal Hospital Center,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Henry Barnett, M.D.) 1972-1973
Junior Resident (PL-2)
Department of Pediatrics, Bronx Municipal Hospital Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Louis Fraad, M.D.) 1973-1974
Senior Resident (PL-3)
Department of Pediatrics, Bronx Municipal Hospital Center,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Chester Edelmann, M.D.) 1974-1975
B. Fellowship
Division of Perinatology, Department of Pediatrics
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
(Richard E. Behrman, M.D., Chairman; L. Stanley James, M.D.,
Division Director; John Driscoll, M.D., NICU Director) 1975-1977

I was a tenured, presently Emeritus, Professor of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University. I have practiced pediatrics, specializing in high-risk newborn care and researching topics related to newborn health, for my entire career. I was co-Director of the Division of Neonatology of the Department of Pediatrics of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for over two decades. My research interests include morbidities of the premature infant (particularly intraventricular hemorrhage, apnea, and pulmonary issues), neonatal jaundice, late preterm birth, and SIDS. I have published extensively in each of these areas and have secured external funding support for much of this research. My clinical activities aligned with these research interests, as I served as Co-Director of the High-Risk Infant Follow-up and Infant Apnea programs within the Division of Neonatology, and I am presently the Medical Director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey. Some of my most recent research focuses on the role of unbound bilirubin in high-risk populations and whether this measure can be used to improve our understanding of neonatal jaundice and preventive approaches to kernicterus and the treatment of pathologic hyperbilirubinemia in developing countries, where this condition is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality.  I have substantial expertise in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which I have proposed is related to hypoxia in preterm infants; I have observed and investigated this condition over many decades; and I lecture extensively on the topics of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

180. Memon, N., Lee, C.W., Herdt, A., Weinberger, B., Hegyi, T., Carayannopoulos, M., Aleksunes, L., Guo, G., Griffin,
I. Suppression of bile acid synthesis in a preterm infant receiving prolonged parenteral nutrition. J Clin Exp Hepatol
2022;12: 200-203 [PMID: 35068799]
181. Hegyi, T., Kleinfeld, A. Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and the role of unbound bilirubin. J Mat-Fetal and Neonatal
Med 2022; 35:9201-7 [PMID: 34957902]
182. Liu, K., Teitler, J., Rajananda, S., Chegwin, V., Bearman, P., Hegyi, T., Reichman, E.R. Elective deliveries and the
risk of autism. Am J Preventive Med 2022; 63:68-76 [PMID35367106]
183. Hegyi, T., Ostfeld, B.M. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death risk profiles in the first month of life. J Mat-Fetal and
Neonatal Med 2022;35: 10444-10450 [PMID: 36195459]
184. Sasenick, J., Kleinfeld, A., Huber, A., Oh, W., Hegyi, T., Weinberger, B. Effects of lipid emulsions on unbound
bilirubin and response to phototherapy in preterm infants. J Mat-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine 2022; 35: 10395-10400
[PMID: 36176060]
185. Ostfeld, B.M., Schwartz-Soicher, O., Reichman, N., Hegyi, T. Racial differences in the impact of maternal smoking
on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. J Perinatology 2023; 43:345-349 [PMID: 36271297]
186. Balázs, G., Balajthy, A., Seri, I., Hegyi, T., Ertl, T., Szabó, T., Rőszer, T., Papp, A., Balla, J., Gáll, T., Balla, G.
Prevention of chronic morbidities of extremely premature newborns by LISA-nCPAP respiratory therapy and
adjuvant perinatal strategies. Antioxidants 2023; 12:1149 [PMID: 37371878 PMCID: PMC10294858]
187. Kushnir, A., Bhavsar, R., Hanna, E., Hegyi, T. Incidence and severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants
with prenatal exposure to methadone versus buprenorphine. Children 2023; 10:1030 (37371262)
188. Reichman, N.E., Corman, H., Noonan, K., Papas, E., Kuhn, K.B., Hegyi, T. Small-for-gestational-age and
vocabulary and achievement test scores at age 9 among children born at term in a contemporary U.S. sample. Matern
Child Health J. 2023; 27:2156-2164 [PMID: 37526806]
189. Hegyi T, Hauck F, Goodstein M. Ostfeld BM. Reader Response: Video Analyses of Sudden Unexplained Deaths in
Toddlers. Neurology 2024;103: e209344. [PMID: 38175965]
190. Roychowdhury, S., Lowenthal, J., Rosenfeld, E., Kane, I., Gupta, G., Hegyi, T., Hogan, J., Bramwit, M., Rosen, T.
The medicolegal use of neuroimaging in term neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. CEOS Obstet Gynaecol
2024; 2:1-15.
191. Hegyi T. Chefitz, D., Weller, A., Huber, A., Carayannopoulos, M., Oh, W., Kleinfeld, A. Factors affecting the
relationship between total and unbound bilirubin in preterm and term infants. Acta Paediatr. 2025 Aug;114(8):1977-
1981 [PMID:40119546]
192. Hegyi T, Ostfeld BM. Reducing the risk of sudden unexpected infant death: the caffeine hypothesis. J Perinatol. 2025
Nov;45(11):1644-1648. [PMID:40494910]
193. Hegyi, T. Unbound bilirubin: a call to reframe neonatal care and clinical decision-making. Pediatr Res (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04667-w [PMID: 41331365]
194. Hegyi, T., Huber, A., Kleinfeld, A. Displacement of bilirubin from albumin by Omegaven and Intralipid. J. Pediatr.
Surgery 2025; 60:162671 [PMID: 40946844]
195. Kleinfeld A, Huber A, Oh W, Hegyi T. Displacement of bilirubin from albumin by Omegaven and Intralipid. J Pediatr
Surg. 2025 Dec;60(12):162671 [PMID: 41144788]
196. Hegyi, T., Huber, A., Oh, W., Kleinfeld, A. Unbound free fatty acids from intralipid displace bilirubin from albumin,
comparable to sulfisoxazole. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-04673-y [PMID: 41331368]
197. Hegyi, T., Drzewiecki, G., Ching, J. Nonlinear analysis of neonatal breathing dynamics: A case study. 2025 IEEE
Signal Processing in Medicine and Biology Symposium Proceedings (SBMP). December 6, 2025. Philadelphia, PA,
USA, 2025, pp.1-6 doi:10.1109/SPMB67169.2025.11345433.
198. Cordero, N., Petrova, A., Halari, A., Hegyi, T. Transcutaneous bilirubin measurements in preterm infants: The impact
of race, age, and phototherapy. J. Perinatology (2026) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-025-02558-w [PMID:
41490938]
Publications in Advanced Preparation/Review
1. Hegyi, T., Ostfeld, B.M., Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and potential links to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Medical Hypotheses (In review)
2. Memon, N., Herdt, A., Eckman, E., Lee, C.W., Hegyi, T., Carayannopoulos, M.O., Alesunes, L.M., Guo, G.L.
Developmental changes in common and atypical bile acids in preterm and term infants. Pediatric Research (In
review)

Top Docs, New Jersey Magazine 1998
Honorary degree, Hungarian Pediatric Society 1999
Best Doctors in America 2000, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2020
Who’s Who in America 2008
Madison’s Who’s Who 2010
Excellence in Teaching Award
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, UMDNJ-RWJMS 2010
Patients’ Choice Award 2008- 2012
Compassionate Doctor Award 2011
Excellence Award
CJ Foundation for SIDS, Hackensack University Medical Center 2013
Lawrence T. Taft Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award
Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 2014
Pediatric Research Day Excellence Award
Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 2014, 2018
Consumer Research Council of America; America’s Top Pediatricians 2014
America’s Top Doctors in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Castle Connolly 2015
New York Metro Area’s Top Doctor, Castle Connolly 2015
Inside Jersey Top Doctors for Children 2015
Commissioner of the Department of Health of New Jersey
Public Health Innovator Award to the SIDS Center 2018