About me
Fernando V. Mena, MD, FAAP, is Chairman of Pediatrics and Chief of Neonatology at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and MedStar Harbor Hospital. He is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.
A graduate of the University of Chile School of Medicine in Santiago, Chile, Dr. Mena completed his fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and pediatric residency at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Before coming to MedStar Franklin Square in 2019, Dr. Mena served as the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center, at that time, a 40-bed level IV unit.
Brain damage of the developing brain has been one of Dr. Mena’s interests. Before coming to MedStar Franklin Square, he chaired the development of the Hypothermia Program for Neonatal Encephalopathy at the University of Maryland, a novel therapy for newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Since joining our NICU, Dr. Mena’s focus has been quality improvement in women’s and children’s health care, an utmost priority at MedStar Franklin Square and MedStar Harbor Hospital. Under his leadership, the rates of some of the most serious complications of prematurity, such as necrotizing enterocolitis, chronic lung disease, hospital-acquired infections, and overall mortality, have decreased to levels much lower than national benchmarks.
Dr. Mena is actively involved in several committees and boards at the local and state levels with the goal of improving the care of newborns, including serving as the Chair of the Neonatal subcommittee of the perinatal Advisory Committee for the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), member of the Baltimore County Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Board and Action Committee, faculty of the Maryland Patient Safety Center, and past Chair and current member of the MedStar Neonatology Quality Improvement Group. He has co-chaired the Children’s Community Task Force at MFSMC, which since 2019 has awarded grants to programs that advance children’s health in our community. He also serves on the Community Health Improvement Committee of Medstar Franklin Square. In November 2017, he was nominated Baltimore’s Medical honoree by the March of Dimes for his dedication and passion for critically ill babies and their families. In 2023, Dr. Mena was named by his peers as a “Top Doc” by Baltimore Magazine, marking this his tenth nomination for this honor.
Clinical areas of focus
- Blood Clotting Disorder Treatment
- Body Cooling Therapy
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation
- Dopamine Therapy
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Internal Jugular Central Line Placement
- Neonatal Aspiration Syndrome
- Neonatal Bowel Obstruction
- Neonatal Sepsis
- Newborn Hypoglycemia
- Newborn With Birth Asphyxia
- Non-Invasive Ventilation
- Premature Birth
- Retinopathy Of Prematurity
- Therapeutic Hypothermia
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Breathing
- Birth Defects Due To Maternal Conditions
- Birth Injury To Skeleton
- Bowel Obstruction In Newborns
- Cardiometabolic Disorders
- Cardiovascular Disorders Of Newborn
- Conditions Originating In Perinatal Period
- Congenital Infectious And Parasitic Diseases
- Congenital Malformations Of Heart
- Congenital Obstructive Defects Of Renal Pelvis
- Disturbances Of Cerebral Status Of Newborn
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Feeding Problems In Newborns
- General Symptoms
- Hemolytic Disease Of Newborn
- Hypospadias
- Hypothermia Of Newborn
- Infection After Transplant
- Infections Specific To The Perinatal Period
- Interstitial Emphysema
- Maternal Care For Fetal Problems
- Metabolic Acidemia In Newborn
- Neonatal Pneumonia
- Newborn Affected By Complications Of Placenta, Cord And Membranes
- Newborn Complications From Labor And Delivery
- Newborn Complications From Maternal Pregnancy
- Newborn Hypoglycemia
- Omphalocele
- Perinatal Digestive System Disorders
- Perinatal Hematological Disorders
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Of Newborn
- Premature Birth
- Respiratory Conditions
- Respiratory Failure In Newborn
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage In Newborn
- Syndactyly
- Transitory Disorders Of Carbohydrate Metabolism
- Viral Meningitis In Children
Procedures I perform
- Atrial Line Insertion
- Blood Clotting Disorder Treatment
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Treatment
- Celiac Plexus Block
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation
- Cystitis Treatment
- Delivery Room Resuscitation
- Dopamine Therapy
- Endotracheal Intubation
- Enterocele Repair
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
- Fetal Renal Disorders Management
- Gastric Surgery
- Infectious Disease Treatment
- Inpatient Palliative Care
- Intensive Care
- Intensive Care For Low Birth Weight Infants
- Internal Jugular Central Line Placement
- Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturation
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Treatment
- Neonatal Circumcision
- Neonatal Physiotherapy
- Neurodevelopmental Disorder Evaluation
- Newborn Initial Hospital Care
- Newborn Initial Stabilization
- Newborn Subsequent Hospital Care
- Nonautologous Red Blood Cell Transfusion
- Nonautologous Red Blood Cells Transfusion
- Non-Invasive Ventilation
- Pain Medication Management
- Palliative Care Services
- Patent Ductus Arteriosus Repair
- Pediatric Surgery Follow-Up
- Perinatal Care
- Pharmacological Treatment Of Hypertension
- Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome Treatment
- Pregnancy Complications Evaluation
- Skin Phototherapy
- Therapeutic Hypothermia
- Trachea Endotracheal Airway Insertion
- Transplant Glomerulopathy Treatment
- Transthoracic Echocardiography
- Undersea Medicine Consultation
- Vision Screening
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
9000 Franklin Square Dr. Baltimore, MD, 21237
443-777-7000miles away
3001 S. Hanover St. Baltimore, MD, 21225
410-350-3200miles away
Videos
Education
Board Certification: ,
Residency: University of Maryland Medical System (2004)
Fellowship: University of Maryland Medical System (1999)
Medical School: Universidad de Chile (1990)
Awards
- The Pediatric Teaching Award – Given by the Family Medicine Residents to the best pediatric teacher of the year, MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, 2020 and 2021. Baltimore Magazine Top Doc, 2010-2011, 2013-2019, 2023 Baltimore’s Medical honoree by the March of Dimes,2017
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
F. V. Mena, P. J. Baab, C. L. Zielke, Y. Huang and H. R. Zielke*: Formation of extracellular glutamate from glutamine: Exclusion of pyroglutamate as an intermediate. Brain Research. 2005; 1052:88-96. PMID 16004974
KD. Fairchild*, S. Tomkoria, E.Sharpe and F.V. Mena: Neonatal Candida Glabrata Sepsis: Clinical and Laboratory features compared with other Candida Species. Ped Infect Dis J. 2002; 21:39-43. PMID 11791097
F. V. Mena, P. J. Baab, C. L. Zielke and H. R. Zielke*: In Vivo Glutamine Hydrolysis in the Formation of Extracellular Glutamate in the Injured Rat Brain. J. Neurosci. Res. 2000; 60:632-641. PMID 10820434
F. Mena, Patología Neurológica Del Niño Que Nació Prematuro. Rev. Ped. Vol.37; N° 3-4; Julio-Diciembre 1994. Pág. 117-118. (Neuropathology of the Premature Newborn)
Reviews or Editorials in Refereed Journals
Kaluarachchi DC, Klein JM. Acute Cardiorespiratory Deterioration in a Preterm Infant. Hosp Pediatr. 2015 Sep; 5(9):505-7. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2015-0011.
Kairamkonda VR, Richardson J, Subhedar N, Bridge PD, Shaw NJ. Lung function measurement in prematurely born preschool children with and without chronic lung disease. J Perinatol. 2008 Mar; 28(3):199-204. doi: 10.1038/sj.jp.7211911. Epub 2008 Jan 10
Reiman M, Kujari H, Maunu J, Parkkola R, Rikalainen H, Lapinleimu H, Lehtonen L, Haataja L; PIPARI Study Group. Does placental inflammation relate to brain lesions and volume in preterm infants? J Pediatr. 2008 May; 152(5):642-7, 647.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds. 2007.09.051. Epub 2007 Dec 21.
Books or Chapters in Books
Fernando V. Mena Edwards and Pablo Espina: Asfixia Neonatal. In: Meneghello, Tratado de Pediatría. 6th Edition, March 2013. (Staple Textbook of Pediatrics in Spain and Latin America; in Spanish)
F.V. Mena: Asphyxia Neonatorum. Chapter in: Neonatology Manual. University of Maryland NICU. Baltimore, 1998.
Abstracts for Conference papers and posters
F. V. Mena, C. L. Zielke and H. R. Zielke: Pyroglutamic Acid Is Not an Intermediate Metabolite in Extracellular Glutamate Formation from Glutamine. APS/SPR Joint Meeting, Washington, DC PAS 2005; 57: 2257
F. V. Mena and H.R. Zielke: In Vivo Effects of Glutamine Perfusion on Extracellular Levels of Glutamate in the Rat Hippocampus. Is γ-Glutamyltransferase Involved? APS/SPR Joint Meeting, Boston. Pediatric Research 2000; 47: 4621A#2731.
F. V. Mena and H.R. Zielke: Glutamate Formation in the Extracellular Space of the Rat Brain. APS/SPR Joint Meeting, Boston. Platform Presentation. Pediatric Research 2000; 47: 4621A#2732.
F. V. Mena, P. J. Baab and H. R. Zielke: In Vivo Changes in the Extracellular Amino Acid Concentration after Neuronal Cell Injury in the Rat. APS/SPR Joint Meeting, New Orleans. Pediatric Research 1998; 43: 322A#1888.
F. V. Mena, P. J. Baab and H. R. Zielke: Role of Glutamine Hydrolysis In Formation Of Extracellular Glutamate In The Rat Hippocampus. Journal of Neurochemistry, 72; S31, 1999