Sheema Gaffar, MD, MS
Dr. Sheema Gaffar is an Attending Neonatologist in the Division of Neonatology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Dr. Gaffar earned her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. She completed pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia and neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at the University of Southern California/LA County USC Medical Center. Prior to medical school, she also completed a master’s in global medicine at USC Keck School of Medicine.
Congenital heart disease, neonatal surgical conditions
Education
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Pediatrics Internship
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Pediatrics Residency
LA General Medical Center, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Accomplishments
American Board of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatrics
International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners
American Academy of Pediatrics
Pediatric Academic Society Best Simulation-Based Medical Education Presentation
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Department of Quality Improvement and Safety, Super Safety Hero Award
Eastern Virginia Medical School Abraham Jacobi Award recognizing achievement in Pediatrics
Publications
Gaffar S, Ramanathan R, Easterlin MC. Common Clinical Scenarios of Systemic Hypertension in the NICU. Neoreviews. 2024 Jan 1;25(1):e36-e49.
Obermeyer RJ, Gaffar S, Kelly RE Jr, Kuhn MA, Frantz FW, McGuire MM, Paulson JF, Kelly CS. Selective versus routine patch metal allergy testing to select bar material for the Nuss procedure in 932 patients over 10 years. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 53(2):260-264, 2018
Obermeyer RJ, Cohen NS, Gaffar S, Kelly RE Jr, Kuhn MA, Frantz FW, McGuire MM, Paulson JF. Multivariate analysis of risk factors for Nuss bar infections: A single center study. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 53(6):1226-1229, 2018
Gaffar S, Lee WW, Harrington JW. Bronchiectasis. Pediatrics in Review. 42(2):103-105, 2021
Gaffar S, Cayabyab R, Ramanathan R. Is treatment with oral risdiplam effective and well-tolerated for infants with spinal muscular atrophy type 1? Journal of Perinatology. 42(5):689-691, 2022
Gaffar S, Siassi B, Cayabyab R, Ebrahimi M, Barton L, Uzunyan M, Ramanathan R. Outcomes of patent foramen ovale greater than 3 mm at birth in extremely low birthweight infants. BMC Pediatrics. 23(1):293, 2023
Research
Quality improvement in the NICU, post-surgical outcomes