Robert D. Christensen

Robert D. Christensen, MD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Pediatrics

Divisions: Neonatology

Board Certification

  • American Board of Pediatrics (Sub: Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine)
  • National Board of Medical Examiners
  • American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)

Robert D. Christensen, MD is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division Chief of Neonatology and Division of Hematology/Oncology Dr. Christensen received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, he completed his Pediatric residency at Stanford University Hospital, and his Neonatology and Hematology fellowships at the University of Utah. He was Chief of the Division of Human Development and Aging at the University until 1993 when he was appointed Chief of the Division of Neonatology at the University of Florida. After 9 years he was appointed Lewis A. Barness Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa, and Physician-in-Chief of All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Before being recruited back to the University of Utah School of Medicine in January 2015, Dr. Christensen served as Director of Neonatology Research for Intermountain Healthcare and Medical Director of Neonatology for the Urban North Region.

His research involves Clinical Neonatal Hematology and Transfusion Medicine. Dr. Christensen was funded by the NIH for over 20 years for his studies in fetal and neonatal hematopoiesis, and he has served as a March of Dimes Study Section Member continuously for the past 22 years. He is the author of two textbooks on neonatal hematology, has written over 150 book chapters for medical books, and has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals.

Education History

Undergraduate University of Utah
 BS
Professional Medical Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
 MD
Residency Stanford University Hospital
 Resident
Fellowship University of Utah
 Fellow
Fellowship University of Utah
 Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Bhutani VK, Maisels MJ, Schutzman DL, Castillo Cuadrado ME, Aby JL, Bogen DL, Christensen RD, Watchko JF, Wong RJ, Stevenson D (2018). Identification of risk for neonatal haemolysis. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway, 107(8), 1350-1356. (Read full article)
  2. Bahr TM, Judkins AJ, Christensen RD, Baer VL, Henry E, Minton SD, Gerday E, Bennett S (2019). Neonates with suspected microangiopathic disorders: performance of standard manual schistocyte enumeration vs. the automated fragmented red cell count. Journal of perinatology, 39(11), 1555-1561. (Read full article)
  3. MacQueen BC, Christensen RD, Yost CC, Gordon PV, Baer VL, Schlaberg R, Lowe (2018). Reference intervals for stool calprotectin in preterm neonates and their utility for the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. Journal of perinatology, 38(10), 1379-1385. (Read full article)
  4. Christensen RD, Baer VL, MacQueen BC, O'Brien EA, Ilstrup S (2018). ABO hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn: thirteen years of data after implementing a universal bilirubin screening and management program. Journal of perinatology, 38(5), 517-525. (Read full article)
  5. Gerday E, Brereton JB, Bahr TM, Elmont JO, Fullmer S, Middleton BA, Ward DM, Ohls RK, Christensen R (2021). Urinary ferritin; a potential noninvasive way to screen NICU patients for iron deficiency. Journal of perinatology, 41(6), 1419-1425. (Read full article)
  6. Wiedmeier SE, Bahr TM, Ohls RK, Christensen TR, Baer VL, Ilstrup SJ, Cail K, Christensen R (2021). Exchange transfusion for hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia: could some be averted by emergent administration of an inhibitor of bilirubin production?. Journal of perinatology, 41(4), 860-864. (Read full article)
  7. Bahr TM, Agarwal AM, Christensen R (2021). Does heterozygosity for UGT1A1 *28 convey increased risk for severe neonatal jaundice?. Journal of perinatology, 41(4), 658-660. (Read full article)
  8. Bahr TM, Baer VL, Ohls RK, Christensen TR, Ward DM, Bennett ST, Christensen R (2021). Reconciling markedly discordant values of serum ferritin versus reticulocyte hemoglobin content. Journal of perinatology, 41(3), 619-626. (Read full article)
  9. Shah P, Cannon DC, Lowe JR, Phillips J, Christensen RD, Kamath-Rayne B, Rosenberg A, Wiedmeier S, Patel S, Winter S, Baker S, Ohls R (2021). Effect of blood transfusions on cognitive development in very low birth weight infants. Journal of perinatology, 41(6), 1412-1418. (Read full article)
  10. Pakdeeto S, Christensen TR, Bahr TM, Gerday E, Sheffield MJ, Christensen KS, Supapannachart S, Nuntnarumit P, Sukwiset S, Ohls RK, Christensen R (2021). Reference intervals for end-tidal carbon monoxide of preterm neonates. Journal of perinatology, 42, 116-120. (Read full article)
  11. Bahr TM, Henry E, Hulse W, Baer VL, Prchal JT, Bhutani VK, Christensen R (2020). Early Hyperbilirubinemia in Neonates with Down Syndrome. The Journal of pediatrics, 219, 140-145. (Read full article)
  12. Konana OS, Bahr TM, Strike HR, Coleman J, Snow GL, Christensen R (2021). Decision Accuracy and Safety of Transcutaneous Bilirubin Screening at Intermountain Healthcare. The Journal of pediatrics, 228, 53-57. (Read full article)
  13. Bahr TM, Henry E, Christensen RD, Minton SD, Bhutani V (2021). A New Hour-Specific Serum Bilirubin Nomogram for Neonates ¿35 Weeks of Gestation. The Journal of pediatrics, 236, 28-33.e1. (Read full article)
  14. Bahr TM, Shakib JH, Stipelman CH, Kawamoto K, Lauer S, Christensen R (2021). Improvement Initiative: End-Tidal Carbon Monoxide Measurement in Newborns Receiving Phototherapy. The Journal of pediatrics, 238, 168-173.e2. (Read full article)
  15. Bahr TM, Christensen TR, Henry E, Wilkes J, Ohls RK, Bennett ST, Ward DM, Pysher TJ, Christensen R (2021). Neonatal Reference Intervals for the Complete Blood Count Parameters MicroR and HYPO-He: Sensitivity Beyond the Red Cell Indices for Identifying Microcytic and Hypochromic Disorders. The Journal of pediatrics, 239, 95-100.e2. (Read full article)
  16. Bahr TM, DuPont TL, Christensen TR, Rees T, O'Brien EA, Ilstrup SJ, Christensen R (2019). Evaluating emergency-release blood transfusion of newborn infants at the Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. Transfusion, 59(10), 3113-3119. (Read full article)
  17. Hulse W, Bahr TM, Morris DS, Richards DS, Ilstrup SJ, Christensen R (2020). Emergency-release blood transfusions after postpartum hemorrhage at the Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. Transfusion, 60(7), 1418-1423. (Read full article)
  18. Hulse W, Bahr TM, Fredrickson L, Canfield CM, Friddle K, Pysher TJ, Ilstrup SJ, Ohls RK, Christensen R (2020). Warming blood products for transfusion to neonates: In vitro assessments. Transfusion, 60(9), 1924-1928. (Read full article)
  19. Maheshwari A, Patel RM, Christensen R (2018). Anemia, red blood cell transfusions, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Seminars in pediatric surgery, 27(1), 47-51. (Read full article)
  20. MacQueen BC, Christensen RD, Baer VL, Ward DM, Snow G (2019). Screening umbilical cord blood for congenital Iron deficiency. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 77, 95-100. (Read full article)
  21. Bahr TM, Christensen RD, Ward DM, Meng F, Jackson LK, Doyle K, Christensen DR, Harvey AG, Yaish H (2019). Ferritin in serum and urine: A pilot study. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 76, 59-62. (Read full article)
  22. Christensen RD, Agarwal AM, George TI, Bhutani VK, Yaish H (2018). Acute neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy in the State of Utah 2009-2018. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 72, 10-13. (Read full article)
  23. Meznarich JA, Draper L, Christensen RD, Yaish HM, Luem ND, Pysher TJ, Jung G, Nemeth E, Ganz T, Ward D (2018). Fetal presentation of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type 1 with novel compound heterozygous CDAN1 mutations. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 71, 63-66. (Read full article)
  24. Bahr TM, Lozano-Chinga M, Agarwal AM, Meznarich JA, Gerday E, Smoot JL, Taylor A, Christensen R (2020). Dizygotic twins with prolonged jaundice and microcytic, hypochromic, hemolytic anemia with pyropoikilocytosis. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 85, 102462. (Read full article)
  25. Bahr TM, Ward DM, Jia X, Ohls RK, German KR, Christensen R (2021). Is the erythropoietin-erythroferrone-hepcidin axis intact in human neonates?. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 88, 102536. (Read full article)
  26. Bahr TM, Carr NR, Christensen TR, Wilkes J, O'Brien EA, German KR, Ohls RK, Ward DM, Christensen R (2021). Early iron supplementation and iron sufficiency at one month of age in NICU patients at-risk for iron deficiency. Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 90, 102575. (Read full article)
  27. Christensen R (2020). Medicinal Uses of Hematopoietic Growth Factors in Neonatal Medicine. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, 261, 257-283. (Read full article)
  28. Bahr TM, Christensen RD, Agarwal AM, George TI, Bhutani V (2019). The Neonatal Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy Registry (NABER): Background, Aims, and Protocol. Neonatology, 115(3), 242-246. (Read full article)
  29. Judkins AJ, MacQueen BC, Christensen RD, Henry E, Snow GL, Bennett S (2019). Automated Quantification of Fragmented Red Blood Cells: Neonatal Reference Intervals and Clinical Disorders of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients with High Values. Neonatology, 115(1), 5-12. (Read full article)
  30. Carroll PD, Livingston E, Baer VL, Karkula K, Christensen R (2018). Evaluating Otherwise-Discarded Umbilical Cord Blood as a Source for a Neonate's Complete Blood Cell Count at Various Time Points. Neonatology, 114(1), 82-86. (Read full article)
  31. Bahr TM, Shakib JH, Stipelman CH, Kawamoto K, Cail K, Lauer S, Christensen R (2020). Improving the Bilirubin Management Program in the Newborn Nursery: Background, Aims, and Protocol. Neonatology, 117(3), 358-364. (Read full article)
  32. Rets A, Clayton AL, Christensen RD, Agarwal A (2019). Molecular diagnostic update in hereditary hemolytic anemia and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. International journal of laboratory hematology, 41 Suppl 1, 95-101. (Read full article)
  33. D'Amato G, Faienza MF, Palladino V, Bianchi FP, Natale MP, Christensen RD, Giordano P, Del Vecchio (2021). Red blood cell transfusions and potentially related morbidities in neonates under 32 weeks' gestation. Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue, 19(2), 113-119. (Read full article)
  34. Fustolo-Gunnink SF, Roehr CC, Lieberman L, Christensen RD, Van Der Bom JG, Dame C, Del Vecchio A, Keir AK, Curley A, Stanworth SJ, Lopriore (2019). Platelet and red cell transfusions for neonates: lifesavers or Trojan horses?. Expert review of hematology, 12(10), 797-800. (Read full article)

Case Report

  1. Bahr TM, DuPont TL, Morris DS, Pierson SE, Esplin MS, Brown SM, O'Brien EA, Ilstrup SJ, Christensen R (2019). First report of using low-titer cold-stored type O whole blood in massive postpartum hemorrhage. Transfusion, 59(10), 3089-3092. (Read full article)
  2. Judkins AJ, MacQueen BC, Christensen RD, Comstock J, Mao R, Flores-Daboub (2018). Non-Immune Hydrops, Hypotonia, Encephalopathy, and Liver Failure with Novel Compound Heterozygous AHCY Mutations. Neonatology, 114(4), 337-340. (Read full article)
  3. Bahr TM, Lozano-Chinga M, Agarwal AM, Meznarich JA, Yost CC, Li P, Reading NS, Prchal JT, Christensen R (2020). A Novel Variant in G6PD (c.1375C>G) Identified from a Hispanic Neonate with Extreme Hyperbilirubinemia and Low G6PD Enzymatic Activity. Neonatology, 117(4), 532-535. (Read full article)
  4. Bahr TM, Knudsen MC, Lozano-Chinga M, Agarwal AM, Meznarich JA, Ohls RK, Christensen R (2020). Infantile Pyknocytosis: End-Tidal CO, %Micro-R Measurements, Next-Generation Sequencing, and Transfusion Avoidance with Darbepoetin. Biomedicine hub, 5(3), 227-234. (Read full article)

Editorial

  1. Song J, Christensen RD, Thiagarajan P, Prchal J (2021). Does neocytolysis exist after descent from high altitude?. Acta physiologica (Oxford, England), 233(3), e13713. (Read full article)

Letter

  1. Staffa SJ, Joerger JD, Henry E, Christensen RD, Brugnara C, Zurakowski (2020). Pediatric hematology normal ranges derived from pediatric primary care patients. American journal of hematology, (Read full article)
  2. Meznarich JA, Rets A, Agarwal AM, Christensen RD, Reading NS, Kuypers FA, Prchal J (2021). Novel, de novo, beta-globin variant with decreased oxygen affinity (HBB:c.317T>A, "Hemoglobin St. George") in a healthy child with low oxygen saturations and anemia. American journal of hematology, 96(12), E448-E450. (Read full article)
  3. Baer VL, Hulse W, Bahr TM, Ilstrup SJ, Christensen R (2020). Absence of severe neonatal ABO hemolytic disease at Intermountain Healthcare. Why?. Journal of perinatology, 40(2), 352-353. (Read full article)
  4. Bahr TM, Judkins AJ, Baer VL, Henry E, Grubb PH, Hulse W, Pysher TJ, Bennett ST, Christensen R (2020). The fragmented red cell count can support the diagnosis of a microangiopathic neonatal condition. Journal of perinatology, 40(2), 354-355. (Read full article)
  5. Bahr TM, Benson AE, Kling PJ, Ohls RK, Ward DM, Christensen R (2021). Maternal obesity and impaired offspring neurodevelopment: could fetal iron deficiency be a pathogenic link?. Journal of perinatology, 41(5), 1199-1200. (Read full article)
  6. Bahr TM, Kerry BB, Baserga MC, Christensen R (2021). Improving thermoregulation in transported preterm infants. Journal of perinatology, 41(2), 356-357. (Read full article)
  7. Bahr TM, Henry E, Christensen RD, Minton SD, Bhutani V (2021). Reply. The Journal of pediatrics, 237, 317-318. (Read full article)